Post-College Interns Can Explore Careers, Get a Jump on Jobs

As she finished her senior year at Connecticut College two years ago, Beth Landes wasn’t sure what sort of job she might like. So the philosophy major pursued an internship instead.

Post-college internships can be a good way for employers and recent graduates to test each other out, career coaches say. Many employers are happy to hire cheap and eager recent grads as interns. At the same time, some college seniors see internships as a low-risk way to try a career, or to get their foot in the door of a super-competitive field.

Of course, internships often pay less than permanent jobs and some employers use interns as a source of cheap labor without any intent to hire them, coaches warn. Steven Rothberg, president of CollegeRecruiter.com, a career Web site based in Minneapolis, urges would-be interns to ask employers about their track record of hiring interns. Most post-college interns receive job offers, he estimates.

By Erin White

From The Wall Street Journal Online

Full Story: http://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/jungle/20060629-jungle.html?cjcontent=mail