Are internships helpful in landing an engineering job?

Internships can be a HUGE factor in landing a "real" job after college. It shows prospective employers that you have some experience. an internship can also be a discriminator between you & someone else when you are trying to land a job, especially if that someone else does NOT have the internship. . It seems more & more that "entry level" positions are looking for a year or two of experience. An internship is a great way to get some hands on experience.

I'll also add that internships can help you show employers that you are serious about working in the industry.
Often times, hiring managers are looking for reasons to make sorting through large piles of applicants easier. So removing someone who has little to no experience is one way to do that, but removing someone who doesn't have a resume that shows a clear desire to be in the industry is another. If you've taken the time to seek out opportunities in the field, and liked it enough to continue to want to work in the field, it removes some of the uncertainty that employers worry about with new employees not enjoying the work and leaving shortly thereafter.
Internships can also help keep you in the running by allowing you to showcase some of your industry knowledge. Whether that's the industry terms that are commonly used, or some of the challenges that are prevalent throughout, internships are a great way to distinguish yourself.

Best of luck!

Very! I wasn't even sure what an engineer did until I worked a couple of internships during college. So, the development I received was invaluable. In addition, I learned more specifically what I wanted to do as an engineer. Even within a certain engineering discipline, there are many types of careers one can pursue. For me, I learned that I was interested in working with people and utilities. My career started doing just that. An employer certainly likes to see this experience on a resume as well. And finally, many times the job opportunities go first to those that have interned. Good luck!

An internship, or any engineering related experience, is one of the more important things you can do to convince a potential employer you should be their next employee. Internships expose you to real world engineering and engineering life. It also shows that you are motivated enough to seek out and secure the experience. Go for it, it will be worth it. Good luck.