Internships: An early start to your career: How and where to look for resume-building summer jobs

“Experience required.” What will you do when you see these familiar words on virtually every job advertisement that interests you? Although it may seem impossible to gain valuable career experience while still in school, there is a solution — summer internships. Internships are an excellent way for students to add dimension to their academic programs by obtaining “real-world” career experience while possibly earning money and/or gaining academic credit. Internship experience can increase your marketability when it is time to embark on a job search. In addition, working with professionals in your chosen field can help reinforce career goals — or lead you to pursue other areas of interest before it is too late.