Translation guide
An internship is a temporary work position, often for students or recent graduates, to gain practical experience. In Japanese, the most common term is インターンシップ, but there are also native Japanese expressions and related concepts.
A temporary position at a company or organization for a student or recent graduate to gain work experience.
The most common and direct translation. Used widely in job hunting contexts.
夏休みにインターンシップに参加する予定です。
I plan to participate in an internship during summer vacation.
Shortened form of インターンシップ. Often used to refer to the intern themselves, but can also mean the internship program.
彼は大手企業でインターンをしています。
He is doing an internship at a major company.
A more formal, native Japanese term meaning 'work experience'. Often used in educational or official contexts.
このプログラムは学生の就業体験を支援します。
This program supports students' work experience.
Refers to practical training or hands-on practice, often in technical, medical, or teaching fields. Can overlap with internship but is broader.
教育実習で学校に行きました。
I went to a school for teaching practice.
In Japan, internships are often short-term (one day to a few weeks) and used as part of the recruitment process, rather than long-term work experience.
Same word, but note the cultural difference: Japanese internships are often very short and may be more about company introduction than actual work.
就活のためにインターンシップにたくさん応募した。
I applied to many internships for job hunting.
Specifically refers to short-term internships, often just a few days.
短期インターンに参加して会社の雰囲気を知りました。
I participated in a short-term internship and got to know the company atmosphere.
A period of supervised practical training in a hospital or clinic, especially for medical students or graduates.
Clinical training for medical students. This is the standard term.
医学生は病院で臨床実習を行います。
Medical students do clinical internships at hospitals.
In medical contexts, インターン often refers to a medical intern (a doctor in their first year of training).
彼はインターンとして救急科で働いています。
He works in the emergency department as an intern.
インターンシップ is typically used for corporate internships, while 実習 is broader and used for practical training in fields like education, medicine, or technology. 実習 implies more hands-on skill development, whereas インターンシップ may include observation and company research.
教育実習は学校で行うが、企業のインターンシップとは異なる。
Teaching practice is done at schools, which is different from corporate internships.
In many Western countries, internships last several months. In Japan, they are often very short (one day to two weeks) and may not involve substantial work. If you want to emphasize a longer, work-focused internship, you might need to explain it explicitly.
私のインターンシップは3ヶ月間で、実際のプロジェクトに参加しました。
My internship was three months long and I participated in actual projects.