Gaining Experience for the Future

Christian Nguyen
Staff Writer

Getting an internship is a great way to get experience for the future. Internships give opportunities to gain work experience to put in resumes. There is even the possibly of being paid, which is a nice bonus. Dress appropriately, be confident and start searching for internship opportunities.
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Learning Moor
Ellen Lei
Staff Writer

The word internship is defined as any official or formal program to provide practical experience for beginners in an occupation or professions. In other words, internships can be seen as opportunities to work at a firm related to one’s study for a limited amount of time. The most common duration of an internship is for one semester or quarter which is about three months or ten weeks respectively.
According to the American University of Washington D.C. interns are usually students who have not yet found employment. They usually work in a temporary position for an employer of an industry. Instead of emphasizing employment, internships focus on training. Thus, students who apply for internships can anticipate learning more about a profession and mastering it before actually being employed.
Different types of internships include paid internships, unpaid internships and research internships. Paid internships are common in engineering, legal firms, technology and science. The wage for paid internships usually depends on the degree of the applicant. For example, an applicant with a bachelor’s degree would be paid less than one with a master’s degree.
On the other hand, some internships only offer experience and not pay. Unpaid interns, however, can still learn about a profession or workplace. In a research internship, students usually research for a particular company, usually on how their company can be improved. The results of the research must be put into a formal report and presented to the employer.
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Available Internships Around Alhambra
Yi-Feng Ho
Staff Writer

There are many fairly easy ways to find an internship that do not require going around many places.
The first way to find out if there are internships available is to visit the Career Center on campus. The Career Center not only provides students with the information they need to pursue their career, it also provides students with different internships. For instance, one internship available from the Career Center is for those who want to work as graphic or web designers, journalists, office administrators or advertisers for Fiesta Publications.
Another way to get into internships is to take Career Technical Education (CTE) classes. These after-school classes train students in a specific field, giving them the skills they need to pursue this field, and some will put students in an internship program. One CTE class that will put students in an internship is the Restaurant Services Management CC/CVE class. This course not only give students the skills they need to get a job in the culinary field, they will be placed in unpaid internships along with students who are employed in the field.
The next way to find an internship is through the internet. Since most students have smartphones, computers or other ways to access the internet they are not hard to find. However, some of these websites should not be trusted, so those who want to try to find an internship online need to be cautious.
Internships are available in many places, from the internet to people on campus. All students need to do is to ask around and they might come across an internship they may be interested in.
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Benefits of Interning
Katelyn Barreras
Staff Writer
There are plenty of benefits that come out of an internship like learning more about a chosen field or gain a work experience. Gaining a valuable work experience can help students learn what it is like in the work field. It can also help generate more work experiences for a student’s portfolio and improve his or her resume.
Internships may also be beneficial when deciding a career path. Working with a company in a field of interest can give insight on what it is like.
Another benefit that comes from internships is the potential to develop and build up on skills. According to the U.S. News, “Learning new skills in an internship can help with future employment opportunities and is a major advantage in the application process.” Internships can also help with making connections for future jobs.
Lastly, internship programs can introduce people with similar interests allowing them to make new friends.
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Additional Tips and Tricks
Nguyen Kim Tran
Staff Writer

– Chamber of Commerce: Contact our local Chamber of Commerce for internship options.
– Nonprofit organizations: Contact any nonprofit organization nearby that spark an interest. Nonprofit organizations are open to volunteers.
– Make connections: It may sound hard, but high school is a good time to start networking. Networking can work through social media as a method to present one’s best version of themselves. Talking to other peers and teachers can open you to more opportunities. Keep relations with organizations and businesses for future references.
– Surfing the Web: Beware of internship scams. Make sure to carefully assess the internship and research the company. If it is too good to be true, most likely it is a scam.
– Join Handshake: Search up Handshake.com online, and sign up. The website will try to match you up with other internships.
– Career Fair: The Career Fair is another event that students can look forward to. Employers make internships available for high school students.
– Work on that cover letter and resume: Need help with that cover letter or grammar? Try the Cal State Writing Lab on our campus.
– Reference letters: Prepare reference letters to showcase your skills.
– Filter your social media: Make sure your social media is appropriate. Your potential employer may check your history.
– Design internships: Keep your designs up to par. Alhambra’s digital media teachers have a knack for catching minor mistakes.
– Too Busy: If you’re too busy during the school year, try interning over the summer. Start early and do your research. Plan out your goals; it is best to do it now. Don’t procrastinate.
– Be confident: Relax. Many gravitate toward honest and genuine people.