How necessary is it to obtain an internship before you graduate college?

Companies is some industries (finance/Investment Banking and also consulting) definitely place value on an internship when considering candidates for full-time hiring. Here are the advantages of doing an internship:

-you experience working in a professional environment and you develop skills like communication and teamwork
-you can apply what you have learned in school in a professional setting
-you will have the opportunity to see what a particular job is really like with relatively low risk
-you will be a more marketable candidate for any job you apply for
-many internships are paid - it's always nice to get a paycheck

I strongly encourage all of my students to get an internship for those reason.

Internships are basically ways in which you can learn about a career or a company and you usually don't get paid. Since you are a student, this is helpful on a resume when your experience is minimal. If you cannot find an internship before you graduate, volunteering is a great way to spend your time and looks good on your resume.

Good luck!

Post-graduation, internships have a different feel depending on what field you are interested in. Business or more tech-y companies often offer paid internships, (and usually prepare for or expect students to do one during their senior or right after their senior year) but non-profits or smaller business can only offer unpaid positions. This is why most ask for undergrads-- they don't want to be in the position of forcing someone who may need or should have a paying job to be working for free.
If you are very interested in a company or position, but are unsure if it's a good fit, or feel you don't have the qualifications, then doing an internship part-time is always an option (particularly with the later group I mentioned). If it's not a stated option up front, you can always inquire if they could let you be flexible so that you can work part-time.

As Francesca mentioned, internships are a great way to achieve experiential, hands-on learning, and volunteering is a good way to supplement your resume if you haven't had an internship. If possible, you can also try to get involved on campus, such as through obtaining a leadership role in a student-led organization or working at an on-campus job. While these options might not offer technical experience in the field in which you're trying to enter post-graduation, they at least demonstrate your leadership capabilities (you can categorize these under "Leadership Experience" on your resume).

Ultimately, the importance of an internship when applying for full-time jobs is based largely on the field you enter (e.g. more technical fields often look for internships). That being said, don't let the lack of an internship deter you when you eventually apply for a full-time position! The way you spin what little experience you do have is key: a student with an official internship listing the menial tasks she performed might not necessarily be preferred over a student without an internship who is able to elaborate on how he made a difference as the chair of a student club.

An internship is not required but they are very helpful in teaching students about different jobs, the multiple responsibilities, work culture and environments and well as managing the expectations of direct managers and other internal and external "customers". I recommend taking advantage of any internship opportunity.

Hi Nick!

An internship is an opportunity to get career exposure as you are studying for your degree. An internship is not necessary.

If you have graduated, you might do well to look at a variety of creative ways to look for a job.

Best of luck! Let me know if and how this might help. Keep me posted. I would like to follow your progress.