We all know internships are important. They fill out resumes, give experience and for many majors, they’re an expectation for graduation.

But they can be much more than just another requirement to fulfill; they

can have a real impact on your life. Internships offer opportunities to travel and try new things, to learn about yourself while learning about your field.

They could even pave the way to your future career.

“Internships are becoming a feeder system for full-time job offers,” said

Mike Gaul, director of Career Services for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Here’s how to make sure your internship isn’t just another few required

credits.

Get involved: Involvement in clubs and professional organizations fill out your resume and give you meaningful experiences — and a practical advantage.

“You’re going to have a hard time connecting to someone in interviews

if you don’t have any relevant experiences to talk about,” said Rob Mayer, senior in industrial engineering who is interning at NASA this semester.

In addition to the hundreds of clubs available on campus, most careers

have related professional organizations at the campus, state and national levels.

Explore all the options: While Career Fairs and ISU Career Management Services are vital to any student’s job hunt, students have also found opportunities through their Career Services departments, on the AccessPlus job board and by networking within their organizations. Use all of the resources available to have a comprehensive job search.

Do your homework: Students should go into career fairs with a “one-minute commercial,” said Steve Kravinsky, director of Career Services for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Concisely tell companies about your skills, interests and why they should remember you out of the hundreds of students they see.

In addition to knowing yourself, you should know something about

the companies to which you’ll be talking. Doing the research on a company shows real interest and initiative.

Also, expect the company to have done their homework. Look for specific job descriptions when researching internships.

Ryan Hrubes, senior in agricultural business who has had six internships, said one of the least rewarding ones was also one of the least structured.

“Something wishy-washy shows they haven’t thought it through,” Kravinsky said.

Look for information on the training process, mentoring, what duties are

expected and what type of evaluation will be administered at the end.

Get ready to press flesh: “Learn the art of networking,” Gaul advised.

While networking may sound intimidating, it’s just a matter of talking

to the right people — family, friends, professors and people in the industry — and it can be hard to overstate its importance.

“You have to put yourself in the places where employers will be,” Hrubes said.

This could mean going to career fairs, frequenting your Career Services

department or getting involved with clubs.

It also wouldn’t hurt to have several polished copies of your resume handy.

Finally, network with your fellow students. You can learn a lot about your potential internship by talking to students who have worked for the company in the past. Your Career Services department can help you find these students or recent grads.

Apply, apply, apply: “Even if you aren’t sure if you meet the qualifica-

tions, apply. The worst they can do is say no,” said Emily Thomsen, senior in marketing, who had an internship with Reiman Gardens in the summer of 2008 that turned into a job she’s held ever since.

The job description said applicants should know Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Even though Thomsen didn’t have those skills at the time, she got the job.

She said learning new things and getting to use them on the job was one of the most rewarding parts of her internship.

Also, apply early. While it’s certainly not too late to score a great internship, Gaul said a major trend is companies hiring earlier and earlier.

“Be desperate”: “Take anything you can — especially in this climate. Don’t discount anything,” Hrubes said.

Any internship is an opportunity. Even the smallest companies have connections. Put your foot in the door.

Be willing to take risks: Moving to Brazil for a semester delayed Hrubes’ graduation, but he said it was worth it to gain the experience.

Mayer took a 30 percent pay cut to work for NASA, but he said it was

“a pretty fair trade-off” to work for his dream company.

Do your homework, again: Once you’ve landed the internship, you have to take more time to think about what you want to gain.

“Have a set of objectives before you go in,” Hrubes said.

Your supervisor may ask you on the first day what you want to get out of your internship. If you have a clear list prepared, you’re more likely to have an experience that fits your definition of “rewarding.”

Extra Credit — Try something new: “Don’t take the same internship over and over,” Hrubes said.

If you have time to do multiple internships, use the opportunity to gain

more varied experiences.

Hrubes said his third internship changed his career path. His first two

were with equipment companies, but after his third, with Syngenta, he became more interested in biotechnology. He will be taking a full-time job with the Dow Chemical Company after graduation.

“You know it’s going to end in three months,” he said. “An internship is like a test drive.”