Students know it’s important to gain work experience during college, but interning is harder than ever. A majority of students are open to micro-internships, or short-term internships that can typically be done remotely.
A new college survey of 2,000 undergraduates finds that three-quarters (75%) are open to participating in a micro-internship to work on a specific project for two to six weeks. Only 6% say they are not interested, and 20% are not sure. Interest is highest among students who want to go into aerospace and defense or technology.
Roughly three-quarters (76%) of students say getting work experience in their field before graduating is very important, and another 22% say it’s somewhat important. Science majors (79%) in particular are likely to say work experience is very important, compared to a smaller majority of Arts & Humanities majors (66%).
Micro-internships can help make internship programs more accessible by creating opportunities for students who want to gain experience but need to work remotely or can’t intern full time. An overwhelming majority (88%) of students say the appeal of a micro-internship is that it would allow them to gain experience in their field before graduation. And about 6 in 10 students say being able to work remotely (63%) and having time for their other obligations (62%) also makes these internships appealing.
6 in 10 Students Like that Micro-Internships are Remote
What, if anything, would be appealing about a remote micro-internship? Select all that apply.
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Methodology: This survey was designed and conducted by College Pulse. Interviews were conducted among a sample of 2,000 full-time and part-time students attending four-year colleges or universities in the U.S. who are part of College Pulse’s American College Student Panel.
