A college internship can be the difference between obtaining a high-salaried occupation and a less ideal position, a panel of graduate students, job recruiters and career advisers said Tuesday.

About 50 students gathered in the Photonics Center for "It's Time for an Internship" to listen to panelists discuss the importance of internships and networking in college.

The event, which was co-hosted by Boston University's chapter of co-ed business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi and the Public Relations Student Society of America, provided students with the opportunity to learn more about internships and networking from experts in the field and students with positive internship experiences.

School of Management junior Tina Yip, a member of Alpha Kappa Psi, said she was inspired to "spread the love" about internships after realizing that many of her non-SMG and non-fraternity peers lacked knowledge about the importance of internships and how to find them.

Yip collaborated with College of Communication sophomore Laura Flanagan, outreach coordinator of PRSSA, to make the event a reality.

"College internships are prevalent and necessary," Flanagan said.

Panelist Deborah Federico, assistant director of BU's Feld Career Center, told attendees that internships help students "test the waters" to find out what kind of work, office environment and company culture they may or may not like.

There is a direct correlation between students who hold internship positions and those who receive attractive salary offers after graduation, she said.

SMG graduate student Voltaire Aquino, another panelist, spoke about the importance of his internship and networking experiences.

He said his internships throughout his time at BU helped him acquire new skills and experiences that were invaluable to him when he applied for other positions.

Aquino also stressed the importance of taking advantage of all of BU's career service opportunities and applying the knowledge gained inside the classroom into a real-world job.

Program manager and social media specialist Nuzate Karim said online networking was not only helpful to find future jobs but also to introduce students to new people and further expand their networks.

"[It's] a group of people that have a common interest," she said, referring to networks.

Karim suggested students create LinkedIn profiles and continually update them with people they meet, as these could prove to be instrumental in gaining at least an interview for a desired job position.

Another panelist, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network recruiter Christina Choi, gave attendees tips on what recruiters look for during interviews.

Being honest and asking specific questions about the company and the internship position are key to making a good impression, she said.

Since companies only have students' resumes, which typically aren't true indicators of students' personalities, Choi said interviews were important for students to reveal who they really are.

"[Internships] are never a wasted experience," said Abby Taylor, an associate in human relations at Cone, a strategy and communications agency.

She advised students to be curious during internships and get involved as much as possible.

The first 100 people to register at the event were given free premium accounts with urbaninterns.com, "a national marketplace that connects small businesses with people seeking part-time jobs and internship," according to its website.

After the panel, attendees had the opportunity to expand their own networks by meeting with recruiters from EMC, Northwestern Mutual, Cone and Leverage Academy.

College of Arts and Sciences freshman Sajan Bathla said he attended the event because he is interested in joining the fraternity in the future.

"Knowledge of how to get internships is a big help," he said.

SMG senior and Alpha Kappa Psi member Shruti Juneja attended because he said it's important to learn about obtaining internships.

"[Internships] open up paths for you," he said.