Students who have a specific career choice in mind often get their high school diploma and then enroll in a technical school or college that offers their desired major. However, those who want a jump-start to be ahead of the game often seek out internship opportunities.

Internships are short-term jobs usually offered by nonprofit organizations and businesses. They are designed to give students preliminary experience in specific work fields. Internships are for students who want to focus and to start hands-on training with workers already experienced in that career. There are hundreds of intern placement opportunities scattered throughout the Los Angeles area. Some are paid, others offer school credit. According to Career Counselor Betsy Alkaly, child labor laws state that you must be compensated in some way,

Most internships take place during the summer. Each one is different with its own requirements and benefits. The companies or groups that sponsor internships seek out candidates of specific ages.

Some may take on high school juniors and above, some only graduating seniors, etc. Likewise, many require letters of recommendation and possibly an essay stating why one wants to be part of the program.

There are internships available for nearly every professional career. These include all sorts of jobs in healthcare, journalism, media, entertainment, business management, law, government and biomedical research.

It’s free to apply for an internship. However finding an internship may be somewhat of a hassle, as there are not an infinite number of programs available. There is a convenient internship search engine online. Simply click “Search” on internshipprograms.com. Another website, tools4youth.com, includes a listing of sites with information on intern placement opportunities. Ms. Alkaly in the College/Career Center can also help with information on internships as well as how to apply to them.

New trainees start at an entry-level position, commonly with some sort of desk job. Here the student can just get a feel for the work environment and see what people in the higher tiers of the field do. Later on, or if the student decides to return to the program, the person will more than likely be given an opportunity to advance and experience the higher levels of the job. Some of these programs also include extra activities such as going to seminars, field trips and listening to guest speakers.

There are many benefits to enrolling in internships, other than the obvious experience gained and a sense of what the job is truly like. Some programs award some kind of achievement certificate at the end. Having completed an internship also looks good on college applications and résumés. There is also the important perk of meeting experienced people and possibly making future job connections. And there is always the possibility that if you become acquainted with such people, they may help you in the future to achieve your career goal, as happens to some interns.

Overall, internships can truly help students realize what they want out of a career as well as give them some experience in the field, said Ms. Alkaly. They are good ways to test out jobs without truly committing to them, and can lead to a successful and long-lasting career.experience the higher levels of the job. Some of these programs also include extra activities such as going to seminars, field trips and listening to guest speakers.

There are many benefits to enrolling in internships, other than the obvious experience gained and a sense of what the job is truly like. Some programs award some kind of achievement certificate at the end. Having completed an internship also looks good on college applications and résumés. There is also the important perk of meeting experienced people and possibly making future job connections. And there is always the possibility that if you become acquainted with such people, they may help you in the future to achieve your career goal, as happens to some interns.

Overall, internships can truly help students realize what they want out of a career as well as give them some experience in the field, said Ms. Alkaly. They are good ways to test out jobs without truly committing to them, and can lead to a successful and long-lasting career.