A chance to break into a career field right out of college, especially with the job market in its current state, is an appealing thought for most college students.

The best and brightest may not have to worry much about finding work, but for many students, obtaining an internship is one way to improve the odds of being hired right out of school.

Internships have long been a source of free labor for employers and also a valuable experience for students.

Hard economic times have made the concept of working for free difficult to cope with for some. However, according to Drew Vertiz, promotions and marketing manager at 1430 ESPN Radio, internships are still a viable option.

“We ask all interns to submit school and work schedules so that we can work around those things,” Vertiz said.

Working around students’ schedules is one way employers can convince students to work for them.

Aside from offering free labor, interns provide insight from a younger generation, according to Vertiz.

Vertiz, who has been working with interns for 11 years, said he looks to educate students, while allowing them to use their creative abilities to help market the company.

“It is important to keep events hip and fresh,” Vertiz said.

Students often choose to intern in their potential career fields.

Vertiz said that this allows students to see if they want to be in the particular career field or not.

For some college students, internships are not only a viable option, but also a requirement for graduation.

These required internships are generally taken in a student’s senior year, and take the form of a class where hours spent in the classroom are substituted for work hours.

“If they are going to school to learn how to do something it’s a good idea to require them to intern and learn some of the ins and outs,” said biology major Kristyn Peterson.

For students who have majors that require internships, Vertiz suggests they try and take advantage of the work experience.

“You get good job experience, and it looks really good on a resume,” Peterson said.

Students with internship experience, Vertiz said look attractive to potential employers.

“They are hungry for the position. They took the initiative to get into the field early,” Vertiz said.