What is an internship? Check out the Complete Guide

An internship is an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the job market and your chosen field of activity, providing a diverse learning experience. Designed to complement your higher education, you develop essential soft and hard skills for the profession.

In this post, we explain how internship programs work, the main types and their importance for your career and professional development. Keep reading with us!

1. What is an internship?

The internship is a fundamental stage of your educational training in which you apply in practice the knowledge acquired in higher education.

Experiencing the reality of the profession they wish to pursue, the student is supervised by a professional in the field, contributing to the development of necessary skills.

Contact with the job market allows the intern to explore different sectors and opportunities to work, so that he or she can find the specialty with which he or she most identifies.

2. What is the internship law?

Known as the Internship Law (Law No. 11,788), the legislation that regulates the hiring of interns came into effect in 2008 and presents duties and rights that must be fulfilled by students, higher education institutions (HEIs) and organizations.

A company’s internship program must meet the requirements of the  Internship Law  and allow the student to combine work with studies, in addition to contributing to their professional development and insertion into the job market.

What are the rights of an intern?

The issues set out in the Law also establish rights to be granted to students, to ensure the maintenance of their well-being and full development, avoiding possible abuse or negligence between the parties involved. Learn about the main ones:

• Internship grant : the amount to be offered for the non-mandatory internship must be agreed upon between the parties and does not have a minimum amount, and there is no provision for receiving a 13th salary. Other benefits include transportation assistance and paid vacation;
• Workload:  during final assessments and exams, you have the right to have your workload reduced by half;
• Rest : you can enjoy a rest period of 30 days for every year worked in the same organization, to be enjoyed preferably in line with the school recess period;
• Insurance : you are now insured against accidents, disability or death occurring during the period of performance of activities, which is an obligation of the contracting organization;
• End of contract : there is no obligation to provide prior notice or provide justification for termination before the end of the contract.

This is, therefore, a very structured and well-founded opportunity to boost the acquisition of knowledge, being an ideal step for you to determine and establish the future of your journey in the job market.

3. How does an internship work?

During the internship, the student carries out their daily activities, focusing on learning, in a shorter period of time compared to formal work, varying between 4 and 6 hours.

He must be accompanied and supervised by the company, which is responsible for offering resources and assistance for his training.

Contracts may vary depending on the company and the educational institution’s requirements. To do this, the employee must meet the minimum attendance and hours, in contracts that can last six months or even more than a year.

4. How important is an internship in professional training?

In addition to being a mandatory activity for higher education students, it provides an enriching experience for the professional and personal growth of interns. Check out how it contributes to your education:

• Resume enhancement:  in the job market, companies value professionals who have some experience in the field. Completing one or more internships in the segment you want to work in opens up paths to diverse opportunities based on your experiences;
• Skills development:  when you come into contact with the professional reality, you have the chance to identify which social, personal and technical skills ( hard skills ) are most required in the area. You can prepare yourself and improve your areas of improvement to stand out in your career. In addition, you put into practice all the knowledge acquired in your undergraduate or higher professional education classes;
• Creating a network of contacts:  exchanging experiences with different people is a golden opportunity for your personal and professional growth. Networking  is  also a tool for having a support network, assistance and recommendations that will help you boost your career;
• Chance of being hired:  the internship period also increases the possibility of being hired by a company. By spending a few months as an intern, your superiors can see if you have the cultural fit and how you can effectively add to the team.

Much more than a requirement for graduating from higher education, consider the  advantages of seeking an internship  to start building your dream career.

5. What are the types of internships?

In general, internships are divided into mandatory and non-mandatory. The first case refers to the work required in the course curriculum, and a pre-defined workload must be completed in order to graduate.

Non-mandatory work, also called extracurricular work, is done outside of the training requirement. In both cases, the contract can be paid or voluntary, when the intern does not receive a salary but  uses his/her hours to compensate for the curricular requirement.

6. Which internships are paid and which are unpaid?

The difference between a  paid  and unpaid internship is the amount of scholarship money you receive. In general, a mandatory or supervised internship takes place without financial compensation and is an extension of classroom learning, as it is part of the course curriculum.

However, conditions may vary depending on agreements between companies and educational institutions, as well as the value of the scholarship, among other benefits.

Even in the non-mandatory modality, when a salary is received, there is no employment relationship, with only an Internship Commitment Term, corresponding to the guidelines of the Internship Law.

7. How to write a resume for an internship?

Just like the CV for other types of hiring,  the CV for an intern should be objective, presenting your skills, experiences and differentiators . At this stage of your professional career, free courses, extension projects and conferences can add to your profile.

8. What are internship programs?

Internship programs are   initiatives proposed by companies to welcome students from different areas and HEIs with the purpose of contributing to their professional development.

According to Law No. 11,788, no intern should be hired to replace the functions of an employee and, to this end, it limits hiring considering the number of employees in a company:

• From 1 to 5 employees:  1 intern;
• From 6 to 10 employees:  up to 2 interns;
• From 11 to 25 employees:  up to 5 interns;
• Above 25 employees:  up to 20% interns.

9. How does the supervised internship work?

The supervised internship is an activity provided for in the course’s Pedagogical Project and must be completed within a defined workload, accompanied and guided by a professional and a teacher.

The role of supervisors is to ensure that the intern has a good learning experience by providing the tools, knowledge and other resources essential for the student’s development.

In addition, they must also provide feedback to align the objectives, goals and achievements for improvement with the intern. At the end of the course, the student must submit an internship report, describing their journey in the organization.

10. How to write an internship report?

The internship report is a document that must be submitted once the student has completed the supervised internship. It  must contain the activities performed in the company, methodologies and contributions  that the corporate environment provided to the student.

It is a detailed assessment of your experiences, skills developed and points for improvement identified during the period.

11. What are the differences between an internship and a young apprenticeship?

Internships and Young Apprenticeships are different hiring models. Interns must be over 16 years old, have no employment relationship and receive a stipend in return, and may receive benefits such as transportation vouchers, insurance, food and health insurance.

To do so,  he/she must be enrolled and attending a higher education course , in a contract signed between the company, educational institution and student.

12. What are the differences between an internship and a trainee?

The main difference between an internship and a traineeship is that internship programs are designed for higher education students, starting in the first year of their undergraduate or technical course. As for a trainee program, students must be in their final year or have graduated no more than 3 years ago.

In this last modality, the employee is trained intensively to develop and improve in a specific area so that, if everything goes well, their chances of being hired by the company increase.

The trainee is also associated with training for management  or coordination positions in some areas, such as Engineering and Administration.