Little known internships can fast-forward your career - internados en diferentes industrias - TA: internships in different industries

There are internship opportunities in just about every industry. They not only provide great experience on-the-job, but also add great resume appeal to prospective employers.

It's a win-win situation for both employer and intern. In many instances, the internship functions as a trial period and comes with a full-time offer upon completion. Therefore, many times students and recent graduates accept summer internships from companies that they hope to work full-time for. And, companies often offer permanent jobs to those interns who have proven themselves during their internship.

In some fields, internships are almost a prerequisite for landing that first job. In other areas, the internship may not be preparation for a job in the same field. But the internship will give the employer a sense that a candidate is more than "book smart" and has something to offer the company.

SCIENCE & HEALTH

You've completed a technical training course in a medical field, and although you haven't landed a full-time job as yet, you will find plenty of internship opportunities.

How to find them? The Internet is another good source of internship information. Career services at some universities and medical training schools list internship opportunities. Some institutions, such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Institutes of Health often post information about their internship programs on their sites.

If science is the focus of your career interest, keep in mind that some programs offer stipends but do not provide housing, and this may be a serious factor depending upon the location of the internship.

For health-related and clinical internships, these programs are in general limited by law. Unless you have specific 'medical' training, you cannot legally perform many clinical tasks. However, the degree of responsibility you are given does depend on how well you know the people you are interning for, and of course, how well they know you! Try to find a mentor on the job. This will allow you to observe in depth the specific procedures performed in the clinic.

If you are looking for hands-on application of your science training, or want some clinical experience to prepare you for medical school, check into major hospitals and clinics that offer internships. These facilities allow you direct exposure to the health profession rather than pure science research. Some of these programs provide for more interaction than others. But in Most cases, you will have the chance to work with patients and, at the very least, observe their treatment and diagnosis.

MUSEUMS & GALLERIES

Among little-known internships are opportunities at galleries and art museums, and they are often the most selective as well. An example would be the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, where summer internship openings for about 20 undergraduates and 10 graduates -- are chosen from an applicant pool of more than 600 undergraduate and 150 graduate students every year.

Museums seem to offer the most structured and established programs. Some museums rotate their inters through the various departments and allow them to become acquainted with the different areas of museum work. The educational aspects of the programs at museums and galleries are usually outstanding.

Galleries offer an entirely different perspective on the art market, and one that many interns claim brings you closer to art and artists than museum internships do. We include these in the listing of little-known internships, and encourage young men and women to pursue their interest in art in this manner.

The knowledge to be gained is phenomenal. Galleries have always been the ones to take chances on artists' work and the public's understanding of the work. Artists are generally known to galleries long before any work is purchased by a museum. Interns working in the New York area report having direct contact with the fast-paced world of artistic communities. The day-to-day work is balanced with invitations to openings and contact with artists and buyers, giving interns a clear feel for the artistic community and the lifestyle that accompanies. it.

Whether or not this is your focus for a lifetime career, such internships are judged with favor by most every employer in the work arena.

PUBLIC SERVICE

Looking into an internship in public service is both educational and eye-opening for any intern. Funding in the field is scarce, and the public sector is bound by restraints of administrative policy, lack of transportation, large caseloads, and in every situation, financial barriers.

So, why would you want an internship in the public service sector? Reasons abound! The embrace of idealism is certainly an attraction to budding interns. Many grassroot nonprofit organizations are filled with recent college graduates who believe passionately in their causes. This sector of the workplace expects and demands genuineness. If you want to fight world hunger or save some rain forest species, or protect the planet, you have come to the public sector. You may interact with people that you might never come in contact with, in your lifetime.

One young Boston University student intern worked at a family domestic violence shelter over a summer. She worked with the children of the residents, providing care for them and counseling them. It was hard work, but worth it, she reported.

There are literally hundreds of underfunded places that need volunteer people to help them out. And there is a wide range of fields where internships are offered. Some focus on the legwork behind public policy change -- which may entail researching social issues, preparing brochures, and writing speeches and keeping records. Others involve hands-on work with people in need -- examples of which may be serving meals for the indigent and elderly, assisting with summer programs for children of low-income families, and organizing social activities at homeless shelters.

INTERNING ABROAD

Securing an internship in a foreign country requires determination, persistence, and planning. There aren't a lot of established programs, so searching for the right internship can take a while, but these little-known opportunities offer incredible experiences in learning about other cultures, travel, and exposure to foreign languages.

An international internship, once attained, can also be an expensive endeavor. Few international internships pay, and the cost of travel and living abroad are, for the most part, strictly out-of-pocket.

BROADCAST JOURNALISM

Most cities have their own radio and television stations, and students who are not necessarily journalism-minded as a career choice, may find this appealing. Broadcast internships are fast-paced, time intensive, and the only way to get acquainted with the television or radio news business. These are not internships for the lazy or for those who wish to sluff off for the summer.

The intern in this media setting may be called upon to do everything from running pages between the TelePrompTer and the control room, to logging tedious hours of tape, to going out into the field with a camera crew and a correspondent. It truly takes a sense of adventure and a sense of direction, and the reward is that the intern will come away with a network of contacts and a smattering of knowledge about a multi-faceted field of endeavor.

Other media opportunities may include interning at the local newspaper, publishing company, even work with graphics, illustrations, and printing establishments. Some of the interns who have worked for this very magazine have contacted us directly (and often persistently), expressed their enthusiasm for print media, and often submitted sample articles or even graphic design.

VALUE RECEIVED

Internships benefit just about everyone involved. It is said that even bad internships can be good learning experiences. Ten years ago, this practice was rare, but the number of available opportunities for this type of experience is constantly increasing. There are plenty of resources to help you find internships, including books, Internet sites, career counselors, and job fairs. Many such summer jobs are very competitive, with hundreds of applicants for just a few coveted positions. This article has singled out some of the lesser known choices, but this author encourages everyone to seek an internship in one's own field of interest.

Think ahead! If you discover an internship position that you would like to pursue in a couple of years, find out what you need to become eligible. Make the necessary contacts to express your interest. Then, when the time is right, you'll have the edge because you have laid the groundwork.

The usual agreement between intern and employer is providing assistance and support in exchange for practical experience in the field. The issue of compensation, or lack thereof, is an individual matter, which even within organizations, may change from time to time.

The best advice on the vast subject of interning is to make the most of the experience. The overall impression you make on staff and bosses should always be with your best effort. Arrive early, dress appropriately, be courteous, friendly, enthusiastic, attentive and interested in everything happening around the office or workplace. Show initiative and be self-directed; and always willing to learn.

Document your work from the beginning. Such records can be beneficial to your employer, and can provide good references for a recommendation. It will also serve you well as internship experience to show future potential employers.

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