If you have decided to head back to college, you might want to look into a school that will provide you with the opportunity to participate in an internship. Or, even if the school doesn’t require internships, it still a good idea for you to looking into internship opportunities. This way, you can network with others in the industry while picking up valuable experience and knowledge. With the help of the knowledge you have gained and the relationships you have formed, you will have a better chance of finding success in the working world once you complete your internship and your degree program. But, you may be surprised to know that there are actually many different types of internships that you can pursue. Here is a look at the types of internships you can select from.

Apprenticeship

An apprenticeship is also a form of internship. With an apprenticeship, you work side-by-side with an expert in a particular trade. You get paid while participating in an apprenticeship while also gaining valuable experience. Some trades that typically involve apprenticeships include:

· Clothing Design
· Culinary Arts
· Electronics Technology
· Goldsmithing
· Graphic Art
· Horticulture
· Jewelry
· Plumbing
· Technology

Cooperative Education

A cooperative education, or co-op, internship is one that involves forming a three-way partnership between you, your college and the employer. This type of internship allows you to integrate your internship into your academic studies, which means you can receive experience as well as credit for your internship. When you take on a cooperative education internship, you will work in a job that is directly related to your major and you will receive assistance with landing the internship from the college you are attending.

Externship

An externship is a type of internship program that is shorter than the typical internship, generally running for only one to three weeks. Through an externship, you can get a better idea of what the typical workday is like within a particular field.

Field Experience

Through a field experience internship, you will be able to develop your skills of recording, observing, interpreting data and mapping. As such, it is most commonly pursued by those who are interested in a career in fields such as sociology and science. Through a field experience internship, you can test out the theories you learned in the classroom while gaining experience with designing research methodology.

Practicum

With a practicum internship, you have the opportunity to put your academic experience to work in a real-world situation. While participating in a practicum internship, you will work either individually or in a group while being supervised by an academic adviser and an employer. This type of internship also benefits the employer, as it helps the business meet their short-term project needs while also enjoying the perspective of younger professionals.

Service Learning

With a service learning internship, you work within your community in order to gain experience. Working in a school, for example, would be a service learning internship. With this type of internship, you generally have to provide an outline of the services you plan to provide before performing the work and then you have to provide a presentation afterward that analyzes your experience.