According to Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.org, an internship is commonly considered 'a temporary position with an emphasis on education rather than merely employment.' Internships allow students, especially college students, to work in the field that they plan to enter after completing their college education. An internship may be paid or unpaid, depending upon the field. Often, internships concerning engineering, science or business are paid internships while internships involving liberal arts are usually unpaid. Here are ways an internship can be beneficial for career planning.

Developing Work Skills

Internships can help students utilize the skills and knowledge they have acquired throughout their college career. Students may also learn new skills while on the job under the supervision of a mentor. Most companies assign mentors to interns in order for them to develop a better understanding of projects and skills needed to complete various tasks. This type of environment is especially useful for students who attend universities and colleges that emphasize theory rather than 'hands on' experience because they are able to gain a better sense of what the work environment is really like.

Networking

During an internship, students may have the opportunity to work with other employees and interns. By working with others, students are able to make connections with their co-workers. These connections may be beneficial later when they are interviewing and need references. It may also be useful if they are considering working for various companies because they can ask the previous co-workers what they know about the company in order to make a well-informed decision. They may also ask their co-workers if they know anyone working at companies that they are applying to, thus, giving them a slight advantage. Evidently, developing relationships and connections with co-workers and other interns can be beneficial in several ways.

For more information on internships, try the career section at About.com, (careerplanning.about.com), or Job Web, (www.jobweb.com).