An often overlooked employment opportunity is the internship. Many graduate students mistakenly believe that internships are only for undergraduate students. Many employers are eager to hire interns seeking advanced degrees. And for the student, an internship offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to try out a position that you may be considering. In addition, internships can provide grad students with networking contacts and can even lead to full-time employment once you've completed your education. Because internships are usually for a limited time period, it is unlikely that you can count on them to fund your entire education. However, every student should consider doing at least one because of their numerous benefits.

Graduate students usually hold internships in the summer. However, in situations where the internship location is close to the graduate school, graduate students can work half-time (20 hours per week) in an internship during the academic year and then work full-time (40 hours per week) during the summer. If graduate students work 20 hours per week during the academic year, they should usually not take more than 9 semester hours of class work per semester. If you're interested in learning about internship opportunities, your school's career center is a good place to start.

Another suggestion for a work opportunity is to check the university's job opportunity board. Acquiring a job on campus will save transportation costs and travel time.