Why the Center for Career Readiness Encourages Wildcats to Pursue a Paid Internship

The Center for Career Readiness encourages every Wildcat to create an internship plan and pursue at least one paid internship or research experience during their time at the University of Arizona. The reason is straightforward: a paid internship is one of the best ways to build career-readiness skills and connect with employers while you are still in college. This guidance applies to all students, whether you are ready to apply now or just starting to think about it — the Center notes that small steps taken early can prepare you for when the time is right.

What the Center actually asks of students

The recommendation has two parts:

• Create an internship plan — a deliberate approach rather than waiting until junior or senior year to start thinking about it.
• Pursue at least one paid internship or research experience — the Center frames this as a goal for all Wildcats, not just students in certain majors.

The emphasis on paid experience matters. It signals that the Center treats internships as work worth compensating, and it aligns with the idea that career-building shouldn't depend on a student's ability to take an unpaid position.

Why a paid internship is treated as a core career-readiness tool

According to the Center, a paid internship does two things at once:

1. Builds career-readiness skills — the practical, professional capabilities that employers look for.
2. Connects you with employers — direct exposure to the people who hire, while you are still enrolled.

A student quoted on the Center's site puts the value in plain terms: "My internship helped me adapt to the professional world, something classes don't always prepare you for." That gap between classroom learning and workplace expectations is exactly what the Center is trying to close.

You don't have to be ready to apply yet

The Center explicitly addresses students who are planning an internship "now or in the future," noting there are small steps you can take to be ready when the time comes. Its Big 7: Your Internship Readiness Checklist is designed to be usable from your first day as a Wildcat. Completing all seven steps is meant to leave you with:

• An online profile
• Skill-building experiences
• A strong resume
• A polished self-introduction
• Confidence in your interviewing skills and search strategy

Where to get help

If you want guidance before or during your search, the Center offers several entry points:

A student describing LifeLab said they valued "the 1:1 interaction and non-judgmental conversation to talk through my interests and goals."

The practical takeaway

The Center's message is not that you must land an internship immediately — it's that you should plan for one and aim for a paid experience, because that combination builds skills and employer connections that coursework alone may not. Starting with the Big 7 checklist or a drop-in LifeLab visit are both low-commitment first steps toward that goal.