Internship or Co-op
Internship or Co-op
Gaining experience prior to graduating will help you secure a job after you obtain your college diploma. In fact, many students end up being hired by the internship/co-op hosting organization.
In general, internships and co-ops offer work experience but differ in the following:
Internships: are part-time, short-term (less or equal to a semester), paid or unpaid, with flexible hours, may offer academic credit, may or may not be related to a major
Co-ops: are full-time (30-40 hours/week during a semester or a year), paid, directly related to a major; students typically don’t take classes during the co-op period; some universities require a co-op to graduate
Often, internship experiences are valuable for career exploration, while the co-ops help students prepare to step into a career. In addition, both experiences can help students learn what type of work culture and what size of organization they prefer, and if they're in the right field. Both provide the opportunity to build and expand a professional network.
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers survey, “when choosing between two otherwise equally qualified candidates, employers deem having an internship with its organization or within its industry to be the most influential factors” (NACE’s Job Outlook 2022 report).
Also, a 2022 forecast of hiring intentions of employers as they relate to new college graduates indicates that the number one attribute is “completed an internship with the organization”; 51.8% is the average percent of eligible interns converted to full-time employees.
Wentworth Institute Technology reports for the class of 2022, “38% received offers of employment from one of their co-op employers and 27% accepted. Of those that are employed, 97% of undergraduate graduates report that their work is related to their academic major.” source: https://cdn.uconnectlabs.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2023/05/Class-of-2022-report.pdf
Northeastern University “complete six-month co-op experiences throughout the U.S. and in more than 100 countries. 46.9% of students complete 2 co-ops; 72.4% are employed full time.” source: https://careeroutcomes.northeastern.edu/employment-status
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