The Impact of College Internships on the Development of Tacit Managerial Knowledge and Career Confidence

Despite the large number of students completing an internship, research examining the impact of those internships on students is fairly limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential impact that internships have on students, particularly in the areas of crystallization of vocational self-concept and the development of tacit managerial knowledge. Additionally, the impact of internships on career confidence and academic behaviors – in terms of class attendance and hours spent studying – was examined. A survey was developed and administered to business students who had completed zero, one, or two internships. It was hypothesized that students who had completed two internships would show greater levels of tacit managerial knowledge, vocational self-concept crystallization, and career confidence as well as stronger academic behaviors than students who had completed one internship or no internships. Results showed that the number of internships completed had no impact on crystallization of vocational self-concept or the acquisition of tacit managerial knowledge. However, number of completed internships did have an impact on an individual’s career confidence and some academic behaviors