Infographic Details the State of the Internship

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State-of-the-Internship Infographic section Did you know that nowadays students are beginning to intern as early as high school? According to “The State of the Internship” infographic by InternMatch, 17.4 percent of students completed their first internship in high school and 40.7 percent of students completed one internship prior to accepting a job post-graduation.

With more and more students seeking internship opportunities (and at much younger ages), it’s important for employers to understand just how they’re seeking these positions and exactly what they hope to gain from them.

Almost half (40.6%) of students start looking for an internship 1-3 months before their chosen internship season. And students use a variety of resources to find these opportunities:

  • Personal networks (60.8%)
  • Google search (42.6%)
  • University network, including career centers and university fairs (37.8%)

Although many would assume compensation is the most important aspect of an internship to students, the infographic revealed that just 8.8 percent of students view pay as the most significant portion on an internship experience. So, what’s truly the most valuable to students? Portfolio-building opportunities.

More than half (58.9%) of students said having an internship that allows them to build their portfolios with work experience is what’s most important. The data also showed the majority of students like flexibility, with more than half saying working outside the office at least once per week would increase their likelihood of applying for an internship role. Another 59.3 percent of students are open to virtual internships.

State-of-the-Internship Infographic 

By Shala Marks