Internships have been a necessity for entering the job market after college, but it’s time to move past internships as the gold standard to join the job market.

Students should seek unconventional paths to get into their respective job markets.

The jobs people want post-graduation require years of industry experience, and internships don’t equate to getting a full-time job with that company or even the industry.

Few internships provide the right experience both for resumes and on-the-job learning. Some programs like the University of Iowa Museum Studies Certificate Program provides job opportunities at the university’s museums, which mimic what jobs you would see in the museum industry.

But most internships will not match the job you’re working toward. Interns are usually seen as a  supporting role for the people who have the job you want, and most students want to learn how to do their job post-graduation.

Rather than internships, students should seek actual jobs. Many departments at the UI have job opportunities that will better provide the experience necessary to prepare and land you a job.

Another problem is that many internships only apply for college credit and are unpaid. More than 39 percent are unpaid, and most are full-time.

Internships that do pay typically don’t pay enough, with the average paying $15.86 per hour in Iowa. While this is more than a job in the service industry can give you, it does equate to what full-time positions that require a college degree offer.

With costs of tuition and living rising, students are not as financially supported enough to choose lesser paying internships than their higher paying jobs in the same field.

It is time to move past internships and look for better options to suit you.

Columns reflect the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editorial Board, The Daily Iowan, or other organizations in which the author may be involved.