In response to Laura Veith’s viewpoint (Paying for Internships, 02/10/2009), enlisting the services of an internship company is not paying for access to internships. It is paying for the convenience of finding one. Those who choose this alternative are electing to invest money rather than time.

As Veith mentions, in the last two weeks, the Career Center hosted the Internship Fair for 26 employers. It also co-sponsored the Engineering Internship Fair with the Engineering Career Resource Center for 94 employers. That’s a total of 120 employers offering myriad opportunities at no cost to University students. There are over 250 internships posted on the the Career Center’s Career Connector. These are internships that employers wish to bring to the attention of motivated University students. In addition to these on-campus resources, there are a variety of internship postings on websites, through professional associations and personal and professional networks.

Finding opportunities, developing strong resumes and cover letters and practicing interview skills all take time. Investing in the process and being an active internship seeker nets the same — and often better — results than paying a third party and waiting for "the match."

Students learn a lot as interns, but they also learn a great deal through the process of getting there. They learn what types of positions exist and which organizations are in their field of interest. By conducting a search, students also learn the sizes and sectors of potential employers for which they will be a fit.

Just as the writing and analytical skills gained through coursework will be tapped for a lifetime, so is the ability to understand and navigate the job/internship process. The more it’s done, the more experienced, confident and connected a job seeker becomes.

While Veith is correct in pointing out socioeconomic differences may play into who may avail themselves to an internship service, it is the investment of effort that ultimately distinguishes those who will have internships from those who won’t. Don’t be fooled — writing a check for an internship not only deducts from your bank account, it diminishes your job search savvy for the future.

Geni Harclerode and Kerin Borland
The letter-writers work for the Division of Student Affairs at the Career Center.