As a college student, acquiring a job in your chosen field can be a daunting task that can seem impossible when applying for a competitive position. Often, students aren’t sure if that is even the type of job that they want.

A way for students to explore their options while also building necessary skills is through an internship.

A survey conducted in November 2013 by Internships.com, the world’s largest student-focused internship marketplace, found that internships are the key to getting noticed in the ever-expanding job market.

With 84 percent of employers stating that hiring interns was a positive experience, it is no wonder that 56 percent of companies planned on hiring more interns in 2014 than they did the year prior, according to the survey by Internships.com.

Cosumnes River College Internship Coordinator Leigh Ann Rogers said an internship can enhance a student’s resume while giving them an opportunity to experience a field to see if it is truly for them.

“Students get to actually take what they learned in the classroom and actually see what it’s like to do that job in real life,” Rogers said. “It helps the student determine ‘is this major actually a good fit for me?’”

Chris Watkins, a 19-year-old radio, television and film production major said that students should give internships a chance because even if they aren’t sure if they’ll like certain aspects of the job, being in the environment of the work place is a good experience.

Watkins said he would not have his job at CBS radio station KSFM without first having done his internship with them.

“I think experience speaks more than what a resume can say,” Watkins said. “After working for them for a year, they knew everything I could do. They weren’t afraid to give me more responsibility.”

Forty-eight percent of students began their first internship before their junior year, according to the survey. But they must meet certain eligibility requirements to be considered.

Rogers said some of these requirements include having a declared major and taking classes for that major. Student interns also have to have completed one semester at CRC with at least a 2.5 GPA.

Once requirements are met, students can search for internships that best suits their career goal on the Los Rios internship website.

“We always encourage students to make sure that throughout the semester they develop ways to reach out to off campus opportunities,” said CRC Career Specialist Anna Davtian.

The work experience program and the career center work with students to create cover letters, resumes and a list of references that are tailored for the position they are pursuing.

The program will even recommend the student to the employer directly to get them the initial interview. They offer mock interviews to guarantee students are fully equipped for the internship.

Watkins, who found out about the CBS internship through his professor, said that professors have a huge influence on how your academics can help guide you to the right career path.

In a society where 69 percent of companies with 100 or more employees offered their interns full-time jobs in 2012, according to an article from Forbes magazine, it can be vital for interns to network.

Rogers said interns can build relationships with people who have pursued the same path they are interested in and get a clear understanding of what that professional likes or dislikes about the field and how they were able to get into their position.

“A lot of the time, getting a job is about who you know,” Rogers said. “Networking is so important because you can bond really well with someone in another department at your internship.”

Davtian said that interns often have access to inside information when companies do not advertise a position publicly.

“They have a better chance of getting a job instead of someone who never worked for that company,” Davtian said.

Davtian said she is a supervisor for a career center intern who now has a higher chance of filling Davtian’s position when she resigns because the intern was able to make connections with the employees and students at CRC.

Rogers said a valuable internship is more beneficial for the student than the employer because of the amount of hands on training they are receiving.

“The purpose of an internship is to really gain skills in your major and to be mentored by an expert in your field,” Rogers said.