Everyone knows the saying of “the only way to get better is to practice”. This isn’t just applicable to sports, instruments, or any hobby, it’s also a true fact for everyday life such as your future career. Internships are hands on experience in a specific job or job setting. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 60% of college students who have paid internships will receive job offers. With a quick job offer and career experience at stake, how do students become successful at finding internships?
Fortunately, websites like www.thestemnet.com allow for students to find a wide range of internships in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields. The website offers links to different companies and their internships, forming an easily navigated database for students. Most of links on the website lead to internship programs that are paid and are usually geared to high school juniors and seniors. Some internships such as a NASA summer program are offered to high school students and college students, but aren’t paid. While the NASA program isn’t paid, it offers certification of specific skills, from experts within that field. One of the major benefits of internships is the certification and hands on training from specialists who do the job every day.
While looking through the website, I saw that all applications for internships are found on the specific company websites. This is because each program has different requirements, tasks, and goals. While each program is different, most of them have similarities as internships are usually during the summer. The internships I viewed using STEMnet, showed that most internships lasted 8 weeks, making summer time the most available for students. Some programs such as an internship for the US Department of Education have student opportunities that last through the year and can be adjusted by time length depending on the students’ needs.
STEMnet is also very efficient at finding nearby internships in their hometown of Maryland. While the site has opportunities for experience close to home, they also offer resources that any student can use for internships and career experience. Success only comes with experience and interaction, websites like thestemnet.com help students reach those career goals.
Explore opportunities at: https://www.thestemnet.com/resource/stem-internships-and-summer-opportunities-high-school-students
