<p>i suggest going to a college that has co-ops, u still get the experience only diff is u get paid more</p>
<p>Internship is about getting the experience. Money shouldn't be a big factor. If you don't do it, there's plenty out there willing to take the job. Either way, if you take the job paid or not paid, it will polish your resume for the future.</p>
<p>Always pick big companies over small companies unless the small companies give something tangible (series 7 license, chance of full time hire, extraordinary network, bloomberg). If you work for a small company you may get greater experience, but you will have a harder time landing an interview/job/better internship anyways.</p>
<p>The reason for this is that many HR recruiters just assume that internships at bigger companies are better/more exclusive (which is true a lot of time, since it has become almost a self-fulfilling prophecy - almost everyone aims for a major company, so thus they have the strongest applicant pool)</p>
<p>Second reason is its much harder to lie if you work at a major company. If you say you did operation at MS, or wealth management at Citi, IBD in GS, programming at Google, etc...HR can easily derive what you have done. If its a smaller company, its very easy to lie....you're dad could own the company, job title might not match responsibilities, etc. Sure it's possible for them to check up on this, but why bother, they have 1000's of resumes. </p>
<p>OriginalOOG, I'm pretty sure the difference between an exclusive research opportunity and a summer job at Abercrombie are fairly distinct (especially since the research seems to be applicable to his future job) , and you are really making a strawman arguement against what I said.</p>
<p>mattistotle, I was merely responding to your unqualified statement, "First off, in order to get better internships and to increase your chance of getting a good job, you NEED to do bad internships to load your resume." By citing an example in answer to such a statement is hardly making a strawman arguement.</p>
<p>I have been in higher education for more than 30 years and I could give you hundreds of examples where our students have gotten outstanding engineering internships w/o prior internship experience. In fact it has been the rule rather than the exception because most engineering students get that first internship between jr and senior year due to skill set and specialization factors, though more are making the leap as following soph year recently.</p>
<p>I also disagree with your generalizations about internships in large and small companies. Both excellent and poor internships can be found at large and small companies. It all depends on the project interns are assigned to and the level of responsibility companies are willing to give their interns. In our department it is not uncommon for internships at smaller engineering consulting firms to be far better that those at the likes of B&V or M&E or other internationals.</p>
<p>Your comment about employers lying is merely silly and insofar as you are "merely" a NYU student, we will excuse you for such a comment.</p>
<p>Internships = experience in your field
Internships = chance to meet professionals, get professional references
Internships = looks good on your resume
Internships = looks good on scholarhip applications
Internships = college credit</p>
<h2>Internships = better chance for another internship, paid work, or part time job</h2>
<h2>Internship = unpaid, consider it 'volunteer', or low paid</h2>
<p>Weigh your choices:
Internship with all the advantages above or
Summer or part-time work as server/bar-tender/mall work/other office job
$6-12/hr
What will get you further ahead in the long run?</p>
<p>If alternative is a good paying job that will help pay the big bills - go for it.</p>
<hr>
<p>Also some of the relevant answers above vary with your intended area of future employment. In some areas of study, internships may not be of importance, your degree and skill might be all you need.</p>
<p>Other super competative fields, media, broadcasting, government, public policy, non-profits, financials...internships, even the sacrificial unpaid ones answering phones to get in the door - are almost a right-of-passage. 'Working-your-way-up' seems to be on all the sucessful bios.</p>
<p>If your graduating from HPY or Ivy in economic/technical/professional etc...you'll get a good job at a good place</p>
<p>If you're graduating from 'local state U' in economic/technical/professional etc, then climbing the ladder from beginner internship (or co-op) to impressive internship might be well worth the sacrifice and investment.</p>
<p>Think stategy.</p>
<p>I totally agree with Originaloog - one doesn't always have to start at the bottom.
[quote]
I could give you hundreds of examples where our students have gotten outstanding engineering internships w/o prior internship experience.
[/quote]
Some lucky students are in schools with astute department advisors and a programs that help students obtain outstanding, highly-regarded, 'to-die-for' internships.
Unfortuately, I don't think assistance with obtaining desirable internships exists universally, nevertheless some schools rightfully boast and web-publish their students' internship successes.</p>