As the government continues to question the legality of unpaid internships, students have come to the realization that experience is needed, especially during this economic recession. Elon students continue receiving internships, which fulfill their Experiential Learning Requirement. According to the 2010 Cap & Gown survey by Career Services, 88 percent of the Class of 2010 completed an internship.

During the past four years, the percentage of Elon students receiving internships has increased from 80 percent to the most recent 88 percent, said Pam Brumbaugh, director of Experiential Education.

“It’s been a steady march through the years,” Brumbaugh said. “More and more Elon students are doing internships.” She credits this rise to workshops and career fairs designed by Career Services, as well as Elon’s alumni program, which contributes in finding internships for students.

Career Services offers seminars and classes that ensure students are ready for their internships, as well as helping them polish their interviewing and communication skills. Some business and communications classes even require students to create or update their résumés.

“Students can best differentiate themselves from other applicants by taking advantage of other opportunities which will provide practical application of the skills and theories taught in their classes,” said Nagatha Tonkins, director of internships in the School of Communications.
In addition to Career Services, students can get help finding internships in the internship and career offices in the School of Communications and School of Business. The Communications Internship Office releases a weekly list that includes a list of employers who are looking for interns.

Elon’s alumni program is another tool that students use to get internships. “A lot of our employers are alumni,” Brumbaugh said. “We have a great alumni and parent network.” Brumbaugh added that Career Services puts students in touch with alumni within the field of the student’s internship search.

To the average student, working during a semester or during the summer and not being paid isn’t ideal, but for Cedric Pulliam, a junior political science and international studies major, interning provides the time management and professional skills he needs to become a paralegal. Pulliam said he used Career Services and networked with Elon alumni to get an internship at a law firm in Washington, D.C., as well as a volunteer position with the Congressional Black Caucasus PAC.

“Networking is the best tool in the world to have,” he said. “An Elon alum guided me through the paralegal route and worked hard to get me a secure internship.”
Brumbaugh and Tonkins agree that internships may lead to jobs. “Folks who have done internships are hired by their company at about a 50 to 60 percent rate,” Brumbaug explained. “A lot of employers are hiring from their internship pools and the retention rate is higher because interns know what they are getting into. It’s very clear to me that doing an internship leads to a job.”

The law firm at which Pulliam is interning has guaranteed him an internship next summer. He said the law firm has said that it would like to have Pulliam work for them next summer. Furthermore, the firm plans to pay for Pulliam’s paralegal certification, which he will begin after graduation, he added.

“On a scale from one to one hundred, internships are very important,” Brumbaugh added. “It brings a lot of professional wisdom. It is an excellent way to test the career waters, an excellent way to become more confident in the skills that you have and an excellent way to network and find more leads for your next internship.”

Internships by the Numbers:

36 percent of 2010 Elon graduates reported acquiring job leads through their internships

88 percent of 2010 Elon graduates had completed an internship

81 percent of 2010 Elon graduates reported utilizing career services

19 percent of 2010 Elon graduates reported acquiring job leads through alumni

17 percent of 2010 Elon graduates reported going directly to graduate’ professional school

15 percent of 2010 Elon graduates reported they would be working with a service organization.