Internships aren’t just nice to have on a resume—they can directly impact your success rate in securing employment after graduation. According to the Millennial Hiring Report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, graduates who complete three or more internships are more likely to secure full-time employment, with 81 percent of graduates reporting that internships helped them shift their career directions. But where do you start? Here, Atlanta area colleges and universities share their tips for landing the internship of your dreams.

When
Should I Start the Internship Search?

Whether
your career interests have never wavered since childhood or are still
undefined, it’s never too early to start the internship journey. Internships
can also be competitive, which adds another layer of urgency to start searching
right away. Caroline Anderson, assistant director of the Cooperative Education
and Internship Program at Georgia State University, agrees. “Spending time in a
field can help clarify students’ major choices and what they can do to support
professional success after graduation,” she notes. “At the latest, students
should be thinking about an internship during the fall of their junior year.”

While
employers do hire for internships year-round, interning in both spring and
summer is popular among businesses and students alike. And it’s very important
to get a jump on the application process. Anderson adds, “Sometimes students
don’t start applying until the end of spring semester for summer internships,
but a lot of competitive positions have been posted and filled by October.”

What
Types of Internships are Available?

Most
colleges and universities offer more than one type of internship program,
including the traditional internship (which can be paid or unpaid, full-time or
part-time and typically lasts one semester), a parallel cooperative education
experience (usually a part-time paid position) and an alternating cooperative
education experience (a full-time paid position). Each option is designed to
help students narrow their career focus, broaden their skills and strengthen
their professional experience and network.

In addition to traditional internships, Georgia Tech offers a cooperative education experience program. The school’s Undergraduate Co-op Program offers students a chance to work full-time with the same employer for three or more semesters to gain at least a year’s worth of valuable work experience. Students alternate semesters with full-time study so they can continue their coursework. It’s also an opportunity to bring their newfound skills and knowledge back to their coursework and vice versa.

No matter the type of internship, a quality program should introduce you to valuable skills and insights. For instance, Life University’s Dietetic Internship Program offers students a range of unique, hands-on experiences. Students gain exposure to different areas of foodservice, from purchasing to production, as well as experience in community nutrition in various settings from the State Department of Health to food banks and beyond. Participants also gain exposure to different areas of clinical nutrition, including acute care, long-term care and renal and critical care.

Another option is to look for on-campus programs and affiliations that will introduce you to a wide range of professional experiences through your college or university. Emory University offers a summer college internship program through its Temporary Services Department. Students in the middle of their academic careers get hands-on experience in the day-to-day operations of Emory University or Emory Healthcare. Perhaps best of all, Emory has hired interns to work in its labs, coordinate university events and programs, work on in-house IT projects and more.

What
Are the Requirements for Securing an Internship?

Internship
requirements can actually play to a student’s strengths and not necessarily
focus on academics. Some internships have relatively few requirements, while
others require a high GPA, leadership experience and experience with advanced
academic projects. Of course, some majors and programs may have their own
requirements for internships, including a specific number of academic credits.
You should visit the Career Services Center to find out how to balance
requirements from the college or university with the expectations of a
potential employer.

How
Do I Secure the Right Internship?

It
can be overwhelming to figure out how to secure the right internship, but tapping
the Career Services Department at your college or university is a great way to
start. Experts help with everything from identifying interests and skills to
finding the right internship. Employer- and college-sponsored career fairs are
also an effective way to be seen and heard by companies and organizations
actively looking for help. Additionally, your own personal network or alumni
connections can send you in the right direction and help you get a foot in the
door that you might otherwise miss.

There
are also new and innovative ways to further narrow down your internship and
career options. Gwinnett Technical College offers an innovative approach with a
Virtual Job Shadow program. The one-stop multimedia career planning resource
helps guide students through career exploration and how to land a job. Students
can experience what it’s like to job shadow at top companies, build a resume,
find jobs and internships in a particular career field and more.

Benefits
of an Internship

There
are dozens of ways an internship benefits a budding career, but according to
Georgia State’s Caroline Anderson, employers rate professional internship
experiences as one of the most important when considering hiring someone full
time. And because many jobs are filled by referral or internally, interns
already have an “in” to land that first job.

Ana
Baida, executive director for the Department of Career Planning and Development
at Kennesaw State University, has another perspective as well. She says, “One
benefit of participating in an internship is helping a student to figure out
what they like and dislike within a particular field—even something that isn’t
a perfect fit can be an instructive and helpful experience in the overall
career development process.”

So,
if you’re looking to expand your career development process, consider all of
your options and be open to the possibilities. The next step just may be the
job of your dreams.