Difference Between Internship and Externship

Internship vs Externship

If you’ve heard about internships and interns, then you shouldn’t be surprised to know the existence of externships and externs, right? So how do these two programs or work experiences differ? Are they just the two sides of one and the same coin? Well, read on to know more.

“Internship” is a type of temporary experience rather than an actual professional work experience. This training will give the intern the necessary skills and knowledge that he or she can use in seeking more stable employment in the near future. This type of program is often offered to university or college students who want to get a degree in a particular field of expertise. A student nurse is likely to take an internship at a hospital to hone his or her skills in the specific nursing field of choice like operative nursing, pediatric nursing, geriatric nursing, and many more.

Internships benefit both the prospective employee and the employer since the low cost of training students can already give the learner with sufficient skills and theory to excel in a professional practice. For the intern, the work experience can either be paid or unpaid, but most of these programs give a small remuneration to the intern while some are unpaid when it is just a requirement for completing the required number of academic credits. Internships are often medium range in terms of training duration but will usually not go beyond three or more years. Most internships span based on a semestral period of one, two, or more semesters.

Externships are different because this experience gives the learner only the most basic and practical support needed for enlightenment in the field of practice. As such, externships are usually shorter in terms of training duration as opposed to internships. Moreover, externs are usually not being paid for their experience as it will just require the extern to perform a shadow role in the working environment of the externship rather than giving them the chance to do a more hands-on experience in the field.

Summary:

1.Internships are usually longer as compared to externships that may even last for only a few days.
2.Internships are more intensive and provide the intern with a firsthand experience with actual practice in the field being pursued unlike externships that mostly provide job shadowing to the extern.
3.Most internship work experiences are paid while externships are usually unpaid.

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