1. Many interns earn college credit for their work, but they also gain practical experience and important contacts.

2. Surveys showing that college graduates who intern receive higher salary offers than their classmates who do not.

3. The fact that students must be careful, as all internships are not created equal.

4. The most important qualities are an intern with curiosity and a good work ethic.

5. A good internship is when the intern gains knowledge and skills in a professional environment.

6. Some companies provide little guidance that interns do not learn much from the experience.

7. Other companies may use unpaid interns that is free labor instead of hiring full-time employees.

8. The U.S. Department of Labor has strict guidelines that apply to unpaid internships.

9. Companies do not meet these federal requirements, because they must pay minimum wage or face lawsuits.

10. By having these strict federal standards, some worry that companies will eliminate internship programs rather than risk any legal problems.