Zurück zu TOEFL Speaking C1 (5.0-5.5) English (US) – Take an Interview

Making Internships Easier to Access

Englisch Sprechszenario

Ethan

A clear British English speaker with a steady, encouraging style.

33 years · male

Practise talking about "Making Internships Easier to Access" with Ethan, your AI speaking avatar. Speak out loud, get instant feedback, and build confidence for your TOEFL iBT C1 speaking exam.

Start free AI practice

Gespräch

Why are internships hard for some students to access?

Warum sind Praktika für manche Studierende schwer zu bekommen?

Gute Antwort:

Internships are hard to access because opportunities often depend on networks that students do not possess equally. A confident student with family contacts may hear about openings before others even know where to look, and they may also understand the informal language of applications. Another student with similar ability may rely only on public advertisements, which are more competitive and sometimes appear late. This is not just a matter of personal confidence. It reflects unequal access to information and advice. Internships are supposed to help students enter professional life, but if the first step already depends on professional connections, the system can reproduce the very inequality it should reduce. That makes access a fairness issue, not just a careers issue.

Praktika sind schwer zu bekommen, weil sich Chancen oft über Netzwerke ergeben, die nicht alle Studierenden gleichermaßen haben. Eine selbstbewusste Studentin oder ein selbstbewusster Student mit Familienkontakten erfährt vielleicht schon von freien Stellen, bevor andere überhaupt wissen, wo sie suchen sollen, und versteht außerdem die informelle Sprache in Bewerbungen. Eine andere Person mit ähnlichen Fähigkeiten ist vielleicht nur auf öffentliche Ausschreibungen angewiesen, die stärker umkämpft sind und manchmal erst spät erscheinen. Das ist nicht nur eine Frage des persönlichen Selbstvertrauens. Es zeigt, dass der Zugang zu Informationen und Beratung ungleich verteilt ist. Praktika sollen Studierenden den Einstieg ins Berufsleben erleichtern. Wenn aber schon der erste Schritt von beruflichen Kontakten abhängt, kann das System genau die Ungleichheit fortschreiben, die es eigentlich verringern soll. Deshalb ist der Zugang dazu vor allem eine Frage der Fairness und nicht nur eine Frage der Karriere.

What barriers matter most: money, confidence, contacts, or time?

Gute Antwort:

Money is often the most concrete barrier because it determines whether a student can accept the opportunity at all. Confidence and contacts matter, but they cannot solve unpaid rent, travel costs or the loss of regular wages. A student may be able to write a strong application and still turn down the placement because it is unpaid for six weeks in another city. That kind of barrier is especially unfair because it is hidden behind the language of choice. The student appears to have declined an opportunity, but in practice the opportunity was not available on equal terms. Universities should take money seriously because it affects access before performance can even be judged. It is the barrier that turns possibility into reality or removes it.

Should universities prioritise paid internships over unpaid opportunities?

Gute Antwort:

Universities should prioritise paid internships because unpaid work tends to favour students who already have financial support. If the university promotes unpaid opportunities as career development, it may unintentionally reward the students who can afford to work for free. That undermines the idea that internships should widen access to professional experience. Paid internships are not only fairer financially. They also make participation more realistic for students with rent, travel costs or family responsibilities. I would not say that every unpaid opportunity has no educational value, but universities should be cautious about endorsing them. Learning opportunities should not depend on whether a student can absorb a period without income. Paid options make participation more credible and more inclusive across the student body.

How could a university make internship access fairer?

Gute Antwort:

A university could make internship access fairer by creating a transparent database with clear deadlines, pay information, selection criteria and contact details. That would reduce the advantage of private networks because students would not have to rely on family contacts or informal rumours to find opportunities. The database should also explain what level of experience is expected, since many students underestimate themselves when descriptions sound too professional. Transparency will not remove every barrier, but it makes the first stage more equal. It also allows the university to monitor which employers offer paid work, which sectors are underrepresented and where students are repeatedly unsuccessful. That evidence can guide better partnerships over time and reveal gaps in provision before another recruitment cycle begins.