, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs reported on Tuesday. Private consumption rose 0.2% from the fourth quarter, driven mainly by housing and health care as well as banking services and insurance, the agency said. Consumption spending on food and clothing fell, the secretariat ommends students list what industries and job positions they are interested in for the future and look for internship opportunities that will give them experience in those fields.   “Then you can assess, would this internship give me the skills I need to go get that kind of job? Would it give me the credibility I need to get my target position? Would it possibly give me connections I need to leverage a paid position for my targeted job?” Once a student has narrowed in on an internship, he or she should talk to the supervisor to make sure both parties are coming with the same expectations.  “What I recommend to students is that they take the initiative and work with their manager to identify and document what projects will be completed, what value will be added to the employer organization, what training or skills development will be gained by the student, and also what "artifacts" will be gathered at the end of the internship,” says Jenny Floren, founder and CEO of Experience.com.   Pros  A well-respected, unpaid internship in a student’s prospective field can be a stepping stone in the business world where experience often trumps education. “The problem when you graduate school is that while you have some education, you have no real world experience and most of us don’t have credibility in that industry,” says Neil. “By taking an unpaid or paid internship, it gives people insider status in that industry.” Interning free of charge doesn’t mean students can’t take advantage of establishing connections and expanding their social and professional networks that can be used to land a job in the future. “Networking contacts gained through internships are an extremely valuable component, so don't sequester yourself at your desk or eat lunch alone,” says Floren. “Make every effort to interact with as many people as possible--every contact counts.” Students interning at a big-name company might be able to use its status to their advantage.  A company’s reputation from a past internship can propel your hiring chances with a new company, says O’Donnell. “If you worked at a very high profile, well-known company, oftentimes that would be enough for you to get the interview over another student,” she says. “You want to align yourself with them because when you go to push out your resume, people are going to say let’s get them in here because they were selected by that company, so they must be talent.” Cons  The experts agree that taking an unpaid internship can be worthwhile for students if they gain valuable industry knowledge and experience.  The Labor Department and many state agencies are cracking down on companies taking advantage of free labor.  The Labor Department identifies six criteria that a for-profit business must adhere to when hiring unpaid interns. Many students can’t afford to take on unpaid work forcing them to pass on an opportunity that could really bolster their resumes.  Students must verify the job description before committing to an unpaid internship; why commit to do