Experts Say Internships Getting Tougher to Work Out

College internships, once considered an extra asset in a student’s bid for workplace experience and college funds, have today become almost as important as classroom work in helping students successfully “test drive” the world of work and distinguish themselves as the best full-time job prospect.

“Unless you graduate with signi­ficant work experience already under your belt, you are not going to be happy with the job market,” says California business executive Matt Stewart, co-founder of College Works Painting.

He credits his odd jobs throughout high school and his college internship work for his success as an entrepreneur.

“If college students can develop leadership skills and real-world business experience, it opens up enormous opportunities for them,” says Stewart, whose enterprise now provides paid internships for nearly a thousand college students each summer.

Stewart’s praise of college internships echoes that of recruiters and college career officers across the country.

While touting the value of college internships, they are also expressing concern and worry that internships may be in trouble for a variety of reasons, not all of which are fully understood.

Decline of internships