Internships are an excellent tool for advancing your skills in a field of interest. These positions can help young adults find a career path, test their aptitude for certain kinds of work, and develop their talents. Internships are almost always unpaid as applicants are expected to be gaining career development and experience while the company gets cheap labor. It is important to find the right match of company or project because a lot of effort goes into an internship and you have to be getting something back.

The first step is to find an internship you might have an interest in. Universities frequently fund projects that students can participate in as an internship. Check with the university closest to you or in the school's paper under the classified ads. There are also occasional offers on newyork.craigslist.org/search/jjj?query=internship.

Networking can be very useful. If you have a family doctor and are interested in medicine, ask about the possibility of interning at the office. If you are interested in art, ask at your favorite gallery. Tell your family, friends, and family friends that you are looking for an internship and see if they have any contacts in your field of interest. It never hurts to ask.

Once a possible internship has been located, send your résumé and cover letter. Indicate the name of your contact if you have one. Call back the companies after a week if you have not heard anything. It will show your determination and might put your file at the top of the list.

New York is a city that draws people from across the globe. Internships here are extremely competitive, but the experiences offered can also be exceptional.

The Actors Theatre Workshop offers 4-18 month programs entitled "Non-Profit Business Management Internship for Arts and Community Center". Interns receive hands-on training in non-profit arts business management in the city of theatre. The interns' primary responsibility is to manage the daily administrative operations of the organization and to take a leadership role in programming initiatives. Along with personal development, interns will produce on-going classes and workshops for professional actors and in community programs that serve Youth-at-Risk and homeless children. For international applicants, English proficiency is required. To apply, signup on-line http://www.actorstheatreworkshop.com/support/internship.html.
If your interests are more toward government workings, the city of New York offers summer internships in which interns can participate in a special seminar series that features top City officials presenting overviews of municipal government, specific agencies, and the latest issues confronting the City. The NYC Summer Internship is open for graduate students that are currently enrolled or accepted into a graduate program or undergraduate students that are currently enrolled in college or university. To find out more information, http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcas/html/employment/summerintern.shtml.
NYCintern.org is a useful website for undergraduates and graduates to find discounted housing in high priced New York. The system partners 3 to 4 interns in an affordable apartment. To apply, go to http://www.nycintern.org/.

If you would prefer a program that sets up international internships, from visa, to housing, to airfare, there are many different choices.

Alliances Abroad (http://www.allianceabroad.com/): offers a program called Career Escape with trainee program in the US. This program is open to university students and recent graduates who want to train in their professional field to gain valuable international experience. Paid positions are available in many fields.
InternAbroad (http://www.internabroad.com): this is a service from GoAbroad.com that provides offers for internship and work abroad.
InternshipsAbroad (http://www.internshipsabroad.com): offers internship opportunities mostly in America.

You will find more internships abroad with the following links: