Internships provide an experience that benefits the intern through gaining professional advantage through their work. Internships offer a stepping stone for students and help them prepare for a career. They help make professional connections in their chosen fields, which increases their chances of getting a paid position after they graduate college.

The National Association of College and Employers did a recent survey that questioned internships and full employment upon graduation. Hiring rates for those who had chosen to complete an unpaid internship were almost the same for those who had not completed any internship at all. Students who had any history of a paid internship, on the other hand, were far more likely to secure employment.

When looking at the data, interns with unpaid internships tended to take lower-paying jobs than those with no internship experience whatsoever, with the average yearly salary at $35,000. Students with paid internships far outpaced their peers with an average $51,930 salary.

Now it is time to chose which internship you should look for: unpaid or paid. With the experience I have with two paid internships, I work hard and feel that I am working towards a goal. I feel that the the company chose me because I have experience in the field. A paid internship makes students feel more motivated, while unpaid internships will not have students as eager to work, being that there is no pay on the line.

Whether you land an internship as a paid or unpaid intern, these positions will come along with both pros and cons. Here are some of each to think about before accepting an offer.

Pros:

Experience: You will be gaining actual work experience in a field you’re interested in. You’ll receive first-hand experience in a business-setting, putting you one step ahead of the game come the post-graduation job hunt.

Resume builder: Taking an internship shows work ethic and dedication to your career, which employers find appealing.

Networking: Be with professionals who can help point you in the right direction of a job opportunity or further connect you with the people who can.

Cons:

No focus: With many tasks, it can be difficult to find a focus and goal throughout an internship.

Intern-type work: Tasks assigned to the interns are generally basic, low-skill duties, which rarely utilize the progressive skill level of the individual. Some internships have the intern observing the paid professionals.

Unpaid: In today's world students have a lot of financial hurdles, and a unpaid position will not help with this problem, but a paid internship will.