Internships. Are they necessary for landing a job?

I'm getting closer and closer to graduation, and several school officials have expressed to me that they wish me to get an internship before graduation. That's all well and good, but first, I really don't have time for one between full-time school and full-time work . Second, a good half of the internships that they're trying to hook me up with aren't paid internships.

They make it seem like if I don't do an internship, I'll never get anything more than an entry level job, ever (yes, I've told them my current job situation) Anyway, bottom line is, are internships really necessary for success? In my situation, is real-world, full-time job experience in my field good enough?

In my personal opinion, i have not had a internship specific to my field of study, but i have had work experience. And i think that is what employers are looking for, experience. You can take any experience and look at the core values, and operations of that company and relate it to another company.

But, most experts say that it is important to land an internship. And it this economy, even if you are graduating in the Spring, you might not be landing a full-time position as an employee right off the bat, and here is where internships might be useful to you.