Internships

What is an Internship?

Internships are:
An internship is a professional learning opportunity, usually paid or for-credit, that offers practical work experience related to a student's field of study or career interest. It also provides the student with the opportunity for career exploration and development, and to learn new skills.

An internship offers the employer the opportunity to bring new talent and ideas to the workplace and potentially build a pipeline for future full-time employees. Interns usually work alongside a specific team within the company, working on a project that supports larger organizational initiatives.

A quality internship:

• Consists of part-time or full-time work schedule; at least 10 hours per week during the academic semester and up to full-time during academic breaks.
• Provides a clear job/ project description with no more than 25% clerical or administrative duties
• Provides the student exposure to the career field and/or organization including it's work culture and expectations
• Helps the student develop and achieve learning goals and provides opportunities to learn and participate in projects and assist with essential functions of the organization
• Offers supervision for and regular feedback to the student intern

A form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learning in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional workplace setting (NACE, 2024).

Internship Information for Students

What can I gain from an internship?

• Gain Real-World Experience: Internships provide students with the opportunity to gain valuable practical experience in their field of interest. The experience is invaluable for understanding how concepts learned in the classroom translate into the workplace. First hand experience can help you narrow your preferences before you graduate.
• Explore Career Paths: Internships offer students the opportunity to explore different career paths within their field of interest. Through exposure in various roles and industries, students can gain deeper insight into what type of work they enjoy and what career they want to pursue after graduation.
• Build Professional Networks: Internships enable students to establish long lasting connections with professionals in their field of interest. Developing connections can lead to mentorship opportunities and job referrals. Some of these connections could offer you a letter of recommendation!
• Enhance Skills and Competencies: Internships allow students to develop and enhance important skills and competencies such as communication, critical thinking, leadership, professionalism and teamwork. These are essential for success in any career and are often best learned through hand-on experience.
• Boost Resume: Having internship experience on a resume demonstrates relevant skills and can significantly enhance a student’s marketability to future employers. It demonstrates to prospective employers that the student has practical work experience, initiative, and a commitment to their chosen field.
• Bridging the Gap: Internships help students transition from academia into their career bridging the gap between academic learning and the professional world.

• Increase Job Opportunities: Employers use internships as a recruitment tool. Companies invest time and money into their interns which motivates them to retain promising workers. Students who perform well during their internships may be offered employment upon graduation.

  Internships provide students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience, develop social capital, explore career fields, and make connections in professional fields (NACE, 2024).

Internship Information for Employers

Benefits of Hiring an Intern

• Ease workload of regular employees
• Enable employees to focus on higher level tasks
• Meet short-term staffing needs
• Develop a pipeline of future employees
• Prepare tomorrow’s workforce
• Utilize a cost effective employment strategy
• Complete “Priority C” tasks/projects
• Complete finite projects
• Take advantage of students’ tech and social media savvy
• Obtain access to highly motivated students who can fill staffing needs
• Provide practical learning opportunities to students
• Inject enthusiasm and fresh ideas into your organization

Student Interns Expect

• To gain real work experience and provide meaningful assistance to the company. They don’t want to be gophers!
• To have a mentor who provides guidance, feedback, receptiveness and models professionalism.
• To gain experience and skills in a particular field.
• To develop professional contacts.
• To gain exposure to upper management.
• To receive an orientation to the company for which they are interning. This introduces the student to the company’s mission and goals and provides them with information about company rules, regulations and procedures. It also introduces the intern to fellow employees who they can go to in the future with questions.

Resources

• Internship Meaning and Definition: A NACE Guide
• 2023 NACE Internship & Co-op: Executive Summary (PDF

Internship Fair

2024 Internship Fair

Mahalo to all organizations and programs that participated in UH Hilo's 2024 Internship Fair!

Candid Career Internship Videos

Upcoming Career-Related Events

Other Resources

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo is an Equal Employment Opportunity institution. Title IX Coordinator: Shaunda Makaimoku/Jenna Waipa, eeoaa@hawaii.edu, (808) 932-7642.