The best description for finding internships is 'tricky.' Some internships are just plain scams. We regularly hear howls from people who've taken on so-called internships and found that their 'job' is basically a sort of number crunching exercise where employers are getting paid for taking on interns, and leaving them festering with no work.

Internships are supposed to be the practical part of qualifications, with proper accreditation, and some sort of meaningful content in the intern's CV or resume at the end of the internship. So you need to be extremely careful and selective about where you do your internship.

The best way to check out any internship is to cross reference with someone in the business. Ask some questions like:

• Does this internship mean anything to you, as an employer, or as a professional in the field?
• Is this an accredited internship?
• Who else has done this internship, and where did it get them?

You can also check with your college about who or what they consider to be top of the line internship providers. This whole process should be considered a critically important part of any serious career qualification.

Note: This particularly applies to media internships, where there are serial offenders producing pseudo internships which have all the glowing, unforgettable career credentials of low grade toilet paper. Trust nobody. Check out any media internship, thoroughly, unless it's a proven, known brand, big name internship.

Some basic pointers for selecting internships:

• If you've never heard of the provider, and nor has anyone else, forget it. The best internships are based on real, comprehensive training programs, and have dedicated staff to assist. There's usually a training officer who manages them, they're well known in their industries, and the internships have a good record.
• Too much hype is too much hype. Avoid anything that looks like a sales spiel, because it probably is one.
• The internship provider should have a complete, structured program.
If not, move on immediately. They're either amateurs, or scammers.
• Ask the internship provider about career paths. If the answers are vague or evasive, move on.
• Ask about your duties and what you'll be doing, specifically. If this draws some sort of comment about general assistance, a range of various duties or any other undefined result, the experience probably won't be worth it.
• Start looking for your internship long before you need it.
• Don't make commitments until you actually need to make them.
• Keep your options open, and go with the best internship you can find.

You owe it to yourself to get the best internship you can. You're spending a fortune on qualifications. The last thing you need on your resume is a Brand X internship which says, 'Made coffee, did photocopying.' It has happened, but it is avoidable.

The basic approach: Be patient, and be picky. It does pay off.