The best way to know if your "future" career path is for you is to seize the opportunity by being in the environment today. Whether you're a business, film and media, political science, communications, or education major, internships are helpful. In the past Kean students have interned at places such as the Maury Povich Show, MTV, Vibe, ABC, CBS, hospitals, courtrooms and many more.Keep in mind, some departments are more hands on with internships than others. Some departments have relationships with certain companies and will periodically give students information. No matter what the case is, you can always find your own internship. There are several sites dedicated to students who crave experience. Cbcampus.com is a version of Career Builder dedicated solely to internships. Monster.com also has a student internship section. The demand for interns is simple; companies and publications always want young people who often are technologically literate and have a fresh outlook. Also, students can do work, often for free, and in return receive academic credit. Some internships are paid, but many are not. Internships such as ones at courthouses or hospitals can be local. A word of advice is not to be afraid to venture in the city if you have to; it's not as scary as you think.

So, let's say you find the perfect internship. Since you're a great Kean student, they hire you on the spot! What's next? To receive credit for your internship, you must go to your specific department and get paperwork signed. Before you are even register, you must have a full-time faculty member agree to monitor you during your field experience. This person is usually someone you are familiar with and whose classes you have taken. Your academic advisor then designs a way to evaluate your work on the job, whether it's through assigned papers, projects, or one-on-one chats. Ideally, you want to have this all squared away either before the semester begins, or right in the beginning, so you don't play tug of war with your schedule.

Internships offer students a better understanding of their chosen field. For example, education majors have mandatory internships at school districts from sophomore to senior year. For many of these students being inside a school reinforces their desire to teach, while others learn easily they have no interest to be a teacher. So, does this mean the earlier the better? Possibly. You may not want to do an internship as a freshman and would rather focus on adjusting first, but definitely try and do and find some field experience as soon as you think you know what you want to do. Many students have formed relationships with places they have interned at, and some of them receive jobs upon graduation. They can be fun, educational, or even a wake up call to your true dreams. Internships are mostly very flexible with hours, but many have a minimum amount of days they would like you to work. If you can balance an internship with school and other responsibilities in your life, definitely go for it.

If you can't find an internship, calm down. You have other options. Try to see if you can work in the department of your major, as many students at Kean have. Internships aren't going anywhere; companies are always looking for fresh minds to come work for them. There are also post-graduation internships available, some even come with pay. Your best bet is to get involved quickly and find your path early!