An exploratory investigation of college students' views of marketing internships

The authors explore college students’ views of marketing internships. Students who completed a marketing internship (n = 279) were surveyed with a comprehensive questionnaire about their internship experiences, including what they liked and disliked, surprises, problems, and suggestions. Students also responded to 50 belief statements concerning their experiences during the internship, and attitude scales were developed. Although some of the internship literature indicates that employers may take advantage of students for free labor, our results showed that most students found the internship to be a rewarding and educational experience. Suggestions are offered on how business schools can improve the internship experience of business students