Internships are a great way for students to gain invaluable work experience in the aviation field. If you start early enough to do a few internships throughout college, you can get a feel for what career you would like to pursue early on and focus later internships to gain more experience in that field. They can be paid or unpaid; however, the unpaid internships are subject to strict labor guidelines. At the end of an internship employment isn’t guaranteed, however, employers use internships to train and evaluate potential employees.
Searching for a job out of college can be difficult because some employers won’t hire you because you don’t have experience and you can’t get experience because the company won’t hire you. Doing an internship can be a great way to gain experience in your chosen career. The following are some benefits of internships, according to Fremont University.
1.Gaining Experience - You gain experience in all areas of your chosen field. This means that you work on all aspects of the business and learn everything you need to know. When it comes time to apply for jobs, companies will see that you have a wide spectrum of experience.
2. Gaining the Edge - Having experience in a job gives you the edge over lots of the other candidates that you will be competing against for the job. If you have internship experience this gives you even more credibility for the skills and experiences you have gained during an internship.
3. Transition into a Job - Often getting an internship is about more than just learning on the spot. When you get to the end of your internship you are usually offered a job to carry on with the company. Although this isn’t guaranteed, companies like to do this if they can because they know you are trained to their standards and haven’t picked up any ‘bad habits’ working anywhere else.
4. Test Drive - We don’t really know exactly what a career is like until we actually try it. An internship means that you can try out the job before committing a life-long career in that field.
5. Networking - While taking part in an internship, you will meet a number of new people. This gives you the chance to network, find out about upcoming job opportunities, and get your name out there. This could be of great benefit in the future.
6. Gain Confidence - You will be learning all the tricks of the trade. This means that you will become more proficient, therefore confident, in your job knowledge. This will help you when applying for jobs in the future.
7. Earn Money - Although internships are generally unpaid, there are those that are paid. This means that you get paid money to learn a new skill and to test a potential career. You also usually benefit from other staff benefits as well which could be anything from discounts to free gym memberships.
8. Study at the Same Time - Internships often combine studying with work. That means that you may get a release day once a week in order to attend your college class or field trip.
The Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is home to 900 aerospace and aviation employers. Below is a list of some available internships in the region.
Airlines/Flight Internships
Aerospace Engineering and Manufacturing
Airport Management Internships
Several regional airports offer airport management internships on an as-needed basis. Contact the airport directly for more information.
Aviation Industry Groups
Additional Resources
- Federal Aviation Administration Aviation & Space Education (AVSED)
- Aviation Internships Jobs in Texas (Indeed)
- Aviation Internship Jobs (LinkedIn)
- Aviation Internship Jobs (ZipRecruiter)
Please contact employers directly to inquire about internships.
Sources: NCTCOG, Internships.com, Fremont University, Texas Aerospace & Aviation Industry Report