Internship or Consultant?

Finding the Right Fit for Your Graduate Experience

By Susan MacLaren

As a faculty advisor to the Communication Leadership Consultancy at the University of Washington, and someone who brings 15 years of experience in strategic communications consulting, I often hear this question from students:

What’s the difference between an internship and a consulting role, and how do I know which one is right for me?

It’s a great question, and one that reflects the range of real-world opportunities available to Comm Lead graduate students. In this post, I’ll break down the key differences between internships and consulting work, share how Comm Lead students are thriving in both, and explain how either option can earn you academic credit through our internship course.

Should I Pursue an Internship or a Consulting Project?

At first glance, internships and consulting projects can look similar. They both offer professional experience, can help build your portfolio, and assist in growing your professional network. But in practice, they operate quite differently, and understanding those differences can help you decide which path is the best fit for your goals.

Internships are typically more structured and take place within an established organization, helping you increase your knowledge about your chosen industry. Think Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, or other relevant corporations or agencies. For an internship, you are required to find the opportunity, apply, participate in an interview, and demonstrate your relevant skills to get the role. Internships are either part-time or full-time, and will require you to work a consistent schedule based on business hours.

As an intern, you’re often onboarded into a team, given a supervisor, and expected to learn as much as you contribute. These roles may include ongoing responsibilities such as supporting communications, marketing, research, or outreach efforts. Internships tend to last a quarter or longer and are generally paid. For students new to the communications field or interested in transitioning into a new role, internships can provide valuable insight into how an organization operates on a day-to-day basis. It’s an excellent opportunity to learn about workplace culture, understand team dynamics, and establish a strong foundation for future work in a specific industry.

“My internship was a transformative experience that enhanced my professional and personal growth. By reflecting on my strengths, identifying areas for improvement, and planning next steps, I feel better prepared to navigate future opportunities. As Steve Jobs said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.” This reflection process has solidified my commitment to continuous learning and development as I advance toward my career goals in product marketing.”
– Coco, Intern, Comm Lead 593

Consulting, on the other hand, is usually more independent and project-based. Think McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Simplicity Consulting, and the Comm Lead Consultancy. As a consultant, you have more control over your working hours. You will typically meet with the client once a week to discuss progress, receive feedback, and continue working on your deliverable. If you are an organized self-starter who enjoys managing your own time and has a depth of knowledge in a specific area, consulting may be a good fit for you.

Roles with Comm Lead Consultancy can include work with nonprofits, UW departments, startups, small businesses, or government agencies. A few of the organizations we work with include the International Rescue Committee, OSPI, Skylight Social, Prairie Underground, UW Center for an Informed Public, and Digital Aid Seattle. For volunteer and paid roles with the Consultancy, you can apply on our Job Board. Volunteer roles run on a rolling basis, while paid roles open once at the end of each quarter.

As a student consultant, you may be tasked with solving a specific problem or delivering a clearly defined outcome based on your client’s needs. This could include developing a messaging strategy, conducting a content audit, creating digital content, or scaling UX research for a web redesign. These engagements can last a quarter or longer and involve working directly with a client and faculty advisor, rather than reporting to a supervisor. You bring your skills, perspective, and expertise to the table as a peer, not just a learner.

“Through working with real clients, I have honed my marketing skills and also learned that not every marketing strategy that I’ve been taught is universally applicable. Factors such as budget, cross-department collaboration, and workload must be taken into consideration when crafting effective marketing plans.”
– Joanna, Consultant, Seattle JazzEd

Whether you choose an internship or a consulting engagement, each offers meaningful real-world experience, provides an opportunity to improve your portfolio, and gives you an excellent opportunity to network and gain references for your future job search. Both opportunities can count toward academic credit through the Comm Lead Internship Course. The key is to find the experience that aligns with your learning style, availability, and the type of professional growth you’re seeking.

How do I Choose?

Both internships and consulting projects offer valuable ways to gain professional experience as a student, but the best fit for you will depend on your background, interests, and goals. Here are a few key factors to consider when weighing your options.

Work Style

How do you prefer to work? Internships often offer more structure, regular hours, check-ins, and defined workflows within an existing team. This can be a great environment if you’re learning the ropes, want to build confidence in a professional setting, or want to learn the ins and outs of a specific industry or role.

Consulting projects, on the other hand, require more independence and initiative. You’ll often work directly with clients and a mentor or faculty advisor, managing workflows and your time, shaping strategy, seeking feedback, and delivering outcomes and recommendations. This is ideal for students who are confident in a particular skill set, want to refine a skill based on client need, or are looking to develop a new skill in a more autonomous and professional role.

“I think the PM role is something that I have not tried before, which was a little challenging for me at the beginning, but it was a wonderful experience to grow as I work.”

– Jingxuan, Consultant, UW CIP

Internships typically include a supervisor or mentor who provides support, feedback, and guidance for professional development. It’s a learning-first environment. They offer the opportunity to engage with your peers, practice communicating effectively, cope with ambiguity and change, and set and achieve goals based on your performance.

Supervision vs. Client Interaction

In consulting roles, you’re usually interacting directly with a client, whether a nonprofit leader, startup founder, or university partner. Your client will expect you to bring recommendations and solutions, not just questions. That responsibility can be exciting, but it also requires confidence, a proactive attitude, a strategic mindset, clear communication, and detailed organization.

“I have not only sharpened my skillset, but also gained a mentor! I am very appreciative of this experience”.
– Vivian, Consultant, Live Long and Plant

“I have learned a lot not only from my internship but also from this internship course. While interning, I was also learning about various workplace-related topics and insights through weekly assignments, discussions, and instructor feedback. For me, this internship course is like the theoretical foundation, while my internship was the practical application of what we learned. On the one hand, I applied what I gained from the course discussion directly in my work setting. On the other hand, the course provides me with a lens and methodology to reflect on my internship experiences.”
– Rui, Intern, Comm Lead 593

Skill Development

Suppose you’re earlier in your career or transitioning into a new industry. In that case, internships are an excellent way to develop transferable skills, including research, writing, project management, communication, planning, and collaboration. Internships can be a significant step in your academic and professional journey, as they provide opportunities to learn industry-specific technical skills and work with professionals in your chosen field.

Consulting work offers an opportunity to refine and showcase more specialized skills, whether that involves developing a brand strategy, leading a campaign rollout, or conducting a stakeholder analysis, regardless of the industry. Many consulting projects are faster-paced, which can be incredibly rewarding for students who are ready to apply what they’ve learned in class to real-world challenges and drive meaningful impact.

“My background in the video production industry prior to joining CommLead equipped me well for the tasks at hand, aligning closely with the project requirements. Additionally, the experience pushed me to my learning edge. In my previous roles, I typically worked as part of a team, and this project provided a valuable opportunity to take on filming and editing independently, giving me a comprehensive hands-on experience. “
– Mihye, Consultant, WA Alliance for Better Schools

“Yes, my research skillset definitely matched with the user testing task. Aside from that, my multilingual capability potentially played an important role in communicating with test candidates with immigrant backgrounds.”
– Lutong, Consultant, MLK Labor

Paid vs. Unpaid Roles

One important distinction to keep in mind: not all roles are paid—and that’s okay. At Communication Leadership, we typically encourage students with less professional experience to consider starting with unpaid or volunteer-based roles, especially with mission-driven organizations or smaller clients who may not have a budget for consultants or interns. These opportunities often provide a low-stakes, high-learning environment where you can grow your confidence and prove your value.

As you gain more experience and skills, you can level up and apply for paid positions, whether those are internships with established organizations or consulting projects with clear budgets and deliverables. Many of our students follow this progression: starting small, building their portfolio, and ultimately landing paid client or internship work by the time they graduate.

Career Goals

Finally, reflect on how each option relates to your broader goals. Are you trying to break into a specific industry? Try out a new kind of role? Hone a particular skill set? Choose the path that gives you the clearest step forward, and remember, you’re not locked into one or the other. Many Comm Lead students do internships and consulting projects during the program.

Earning Credit: The Internship Course

Whether you’re interning at a corporation or consulting through Comm Lead Consulting, you can earn academic credit for your professional work through the Communication Leadership Internship Course 593 at the University of Washington.

The Internship Course is an easy-to-navigate, online class on Canvas that lets you earn credit for the real-world learning you’re doing in a communications-related role, whether that’s an internship, a consulting project, or a volunteer position.

This course is designed to help you maximize your experience. Through short reflections, peer conversations, and feedback from your supervisor or client, you’ll take a step back to connect what you’re doing on the job to your bigger academic and career goals.

You’ll explore how your work ties into your Comm Lead coursework, your values and identity, and the kind of professional you want to become. It’s flexible, reflective, and designed to support your growth wherever you are in your career journey.

It’s open to students in a wide range of roles, including internships, client consulting projects, volunteer engagements, and part-time jobs, as long as the work involves professional-level communication skills and contributes to your growth in the field.

“For me, it’s not just about learning technical skills like web design or social media management; it’s about gaining a greater sense of control over my own internship experience. The goal-setting exercise from this internship class played a huge role in that. At the start of the quarter, taking time to think about what I wanted to gain from this internship helped me approach my work with more intention. It also became a personal checklist, something I could refer to later to track my progress and identify areas for improvement. “
– Ashlyn, Intern, Comm Lead 593

What Counts?

The short answer is that both internships and consulting work count. As long as your role includes clearly defined responsibilities, opportunities for skill development, and professional oversight (either from a supervisor or a client), it is likely to qualify for credit. If you’re unsure, Heather Werckle can help you assess the opportunity and confirm your eligibility.

What Will I Learn?

This course helps you turn your internship or consulting work into real learning you can use. You’ll set goals, reflect on your experience, and connect it to your career path. Along the way, you’ll practice networking, learn how to talk about your skills in resumes and interviews, and get feedback on how you’re growing. By the end, you’ll pull it all together in a final case study that shows how far you’ve come and where you’re headed next.

The course is designed to be flexible and adaptable to your specific role. If you’re a consultant managing a client engagement, your deliverables might look different from a traditional intern’s, but both will be fully supported. Beyond earning academic credit, this course provides a structured space for you to pause, reflect, and make meaning from your work. It also creates a professional record of your accomplishments, which can support future job applications or career conversations.

“The CommLead 593 assignments played a crucial role in reinforcing my understanding of work and personal growth. I greatly benefited from learning alongside my classmates, who brought diverse perspectives and experiences from their own internships in different types of companies.”
– Yinou, Intern, Com Lead 593

Getting Started: Finding the Right Opportunity

Not sure where to begin? That’s totally normal, and you’re not alone. Whether you’re looking for an internship, a consulting project, or something in between, there are plenty of ways to find a professional experience that fits your goals and schedule.

Start by thinking about what you want to learn and the kind of work that excites you. Are you interested in working with a nonprofit? Do you want to try out agency life? Curious about storytelling, digital strategy, or community engagement? Knowing what you’re looking for will help you focus your search.

You can explore opportunities on:

Communication Leadership staff and faculty are also great resources. They can help you refine your search, suggest connections or opportunities, and ensure your position qualifies for credit. If you are interested in learning more about consulting, meet with our Outreach Coordinator, Jaquline Dacres, to learn more about your opportunities as a student.

And remember: you don’t have to do this alone. If you have a role in mind, or if someone’s asked you to help with a project, check in with an advisor or faculty member to talk it through. We’re happy to help you assess whether it’s a good fit for your professional goals.

Final Thoughts

Whether you choose an internship, a consulting project, or try out both, there’s no one right path, just the one that works best for you. Each option can help you build confidence, grow your skills, and take real steps toward your career goals. And don’t forget: if you’re doing professional work, you can get credit for it by enrolling in the internship course. We’re here to support you every step of the way!

Susan MacLaren

Artist-in-Residence, Faculty Advisor