DUBUQUE – Loras Junior Carolyn Zens interned last semester in Chicago and she’s doing it again in Dubuque as the Special Events intern for the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium.

There’s a catch to all her hard work, Carolyn says she does not get paid.

“It’s more about gaining the hands on experience. I don’t look at it as getting money after doing so many hours I look at it as having a press release that I have actually worked on,” said Zens.

These skills are important for one to gain for their future careers but with the falling economy the question asked is are internships getting harder to find?

Academic Intern Coordinator, Faye Finnegan claims she doesn’t believe there is necessarily a decline in internships, but there may be a decline in paid internships.

Obtaining the work experience of an internship, whether it’s full-time, part-time, paid, or not, is vital for building a strong resume for any student, especially in these hard economic times.

“How are you as a student going to set yourself apart?” said Finnegan.

This is the question that Finnegan has students, like Zens, thinking about when considering an internship. Finnegan says internships are what prepare students at a professional level.

“It becomes more real for them as well as makes them more marketable when they look for positions following graduation,” said Finnegan.
These are the reasons Zens continues to intern.

“The most important thing to do is to put it on my resume and have the professional experience when I go to find a job,” explained Zens.

To find out more information about internships visit the Center for Experimental Learning on Loras’ campus.

Felicia Carner can be reached at Felicia.Carner@loras.edu