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Find a Tech Internship

In the post-boom era, college graduates have found out just how tough a job search can be. They’ve also learned something else: An internship is a virtual necessity when seeking a position as a technology professional.

“I’ve seen an increase in the emphasis on internships,” says Tom Tarantelli, director of the Career Development Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “Employers now want to hire people who can start running with the job.”

This story is part of our guide to “”/benefits/articles/3586-5-easy-ways-to-start-an-it-career">5 Easy Ways to Start an IT Career." Check the others out here.

If you’re a college student – or even a high school senior – here’s a key piece of advice about internships: Start thinking about them sooner, rather than later.

“From the student’s perspective, it’s never too early to start looking,” says Tarantelli.

Where do students find internships? Career counselors cite these as among the best sources:

Career Offices: College career centers typically maintain a database of internships, or refer students to sites like MonsterTRAK. For instance, the database at Allegheny College is set up to email students automatically when an internship matching their interests is added to the system, says Melissa Barnes, director of career services at Allegheny.

Faculty: Professors who work with companies often refer students. For example, Google relies on a professor referral program for its interns, says Leesa Gidaro, the company’s staffing manager.

Alumni and Parents: Alumni listings provide a conduit for students interested in specific companies. A student’s own parents, or those of classmates, may also be a link to companies with internship programs.

Internships have evolved, with the distinctions blurred between part-time work, co-op positions and internships, Tarantelli notes. For summer internships, students should start researching programs in the fall. Winter-break internships are often filled by students who already have a relationship with the company, perhaps from a previous internship. But students should be willing to dig for opportunities, since many companies have ongoing needs for interns, Tarantelli says.

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