Students need internships; that much is true for a multitude of reasons. Internships are a good way for students to get their feet wet in whatever field they are interested in. After all, students hear all the time from all types of people that they need experience to go into the workforce, and internships are a way to do that without a schedule that is too demanding.
But in spite of the fact that it seems that students and internships can go hand in hand, for the past few years, it seems that it has started to become a bit more challenging for students to get an internship.
There are many factors that contribute to this. For instance, the Covid-19 pandemic has been a major player in this problem, as the job market as a whole has been adjusting since the shutdown, and summer internships have been getting canceled. Another factor is that there are companies that have been laying off their employees, and along with that comes the introduction of artificial intelligence into the workforce.
Students from all over the world have shared their perspectives on this issue, including students from Rowan University. Some students share very similar opinions on the internship market.
DJ Schlutz is a 20-year-old theater major who shared that while it is important for students to be able to get experience with internships, it can be challenging to balance.
“I think it can be an important experience [to have], but it can be difficult to balance between work and school,” said Schultz.
Schultz also shared a sentiment that a majority of students have, that it is frustrating that the internship market says they are hiring students, yet they don’t follow through with it.
“I think it can be difficult because obviously they need people to work the hours, but also how are [students] going to get the experience if they’re not giving out the internships,” said Schultz.
Other students, such as Ryan Swanholm, a 20-year-old radio, television, and film major, believe that experience is important, whether the internship is paid or not.
“Internships are important whether they are paid or not, and this is something I feel like some people might disagree with, but experience is important, and I feel like depending on what your major is, even if it’s not a paid internship. But I would like to see more internships be paid because you’re still doing work,” said Swanholm.
Swanholm also shares the sentiment that internship hiring is contradictory.
“I feel like that’s just contradictory, and that’s stupid, because where else am I supposed to get the experience? You’re kind of just blocking people off for the sake of blocking them off,” said Swanholm.
On the other hand, student Rory Millar, a 20-year-old radio, television, and film major, believes that having someone you know plays a major role in how students are accepted into an internship program
“I feel like in a way it’s like when people only get an internship or any kind of role like that because they know someone, which is unfortunately how a lot of people get them now,” said Millar.
Even though some students take that extra step, Millar shared that it isn’t inherently a bad thing if they want to make some things easier for themselves.
“If you feel like you need to take an extra step, then of course, take that, but I feel like it should be a little bit easier when [students] are searching in and out of college. The job market is pretty crazy right now,” said Millar.
Being able to land an internship in whatever field someone is passionate about can feel like a major win for people who want to go far. Many students do believe that internships are important for their development as people who want to go into the workforce, but the limitations that are plaguing the market are hard to ignore. Having a balance between experienced individuals and individuals who need to gain experience in order to better the organization.
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