Your college graduation date is around the corner. Your gpa is on the rise and your resumé is shaping into its most professional form. But, what is actually on that resumé?

According to Melissa Benca, director of career services at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, "Internships have become key in today's economy."

Internships have always played a vital role in singling out those who are ready to work and those who may need some more time before entering the work place post-graduation. Having an internship in college allows future employers to see what type of "hands on" work you have done and how skilled you are in the necessary fields.

Simply studying for tests and writing dozens of term papers throughout your four years in college will not cut it. Yes, while your grades are important to future employers, nothing is more important than experience.

Having an internship, whether for pay, course credit, or simply for resumé building, is essentially like having a job, typically within your college major, without the diploma and without the stress of being an actual employee. It is your time to ask questions, make mistakes, and to learn from them. When a company hires an intern, they are aware of your experience, usually this being little to none. While these are your employers, they are also aware that you are still in the learning process and need guidance with a little positive reassurance from time to time. In short, an internship is a gateway into the real world and, in some cases, can lead to a full time job after graduation.

" Graduating students with paid or unpaid internships on their resumé have a much better chance at landing a full-time position upon graduation. Students are doing internships as undergraduates, and it is now not unusual for recent grads to take an unpaid internship with hopes of turning it into a permanent position or at least making some contacts and building their resumé" Benca said.

Once you have graduated from college, your life actually begins. You'll feel swept off your feet as you enter the real world, feeling lost and often times confused on where to turn next. But, if you are lucky enough to have an internship or two throughout your college years, your first chapter of adulthood will fly by with ease.