Internships have become increasingly critical because many organizations, whether museums or Fortune 500 companies, now see them as the first stage in recruiting. Unfortunately, says Smith College Career Development Director Barbara Reinhold, many interns miss the chance to turn a good first career experience into a great one. When considering your summer plans, DON'T assume you can't intern because you need to earn money for school.
Many internships do pay.
For those that don't, a few colleges, like Smith, have designated funds to help students defray the cost of their living expenses and tuition contribution. On the job, DON'T expect to be taught as you would in a classroom. An internship is a very different situation, and you must take the major responsibility for what you will learn. DO ask lots of questions. So they'll be taking careful notice of the quality of your thinking, based on the quality of the questions you ask.