Internships are an important part of your college career; they give you a taste of the real world before you even have to enter it.
Internships also give you the chance to refine your skills, demonstrate new ones, and figure out exactly where to begin your career. Furthermore, interning for a company or organization will help you see what the day-to-day experience is like working for them and possibly for you in the future.
U.S. News and World Report list the top benefits of an internship:
1. There is a world of a difference learning about your chosen career field and actually experiencing it
2. Internships are the perfect way to gain some real-world perspective by incorporating the skills that you have learned in class
3. Completing an internship is also a great addition to your resume.
Lecturer of communication, Shannon Hokanson, said, “Internships are a critical opportunity to apply your communication education in real world contexts. They are valuable resume builders that can give you a true edge in a competitive marketplace.”
Another reason why internships are so great is because they get your foot in the door of your chosen career path.
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employees, students who complete an internship will be a company’s first choice over college graduates who did not.
Freshman social work student, Kayla Greiss, is aware that an internship is a requirement for graduation. Despite being a freshman, the thought of interning makes her somewhat nervous. She knows that she would like to work with children. She has, “tons of experience babysitting and coaching cheerleading,” so she feels that finding an internship won’t be too difficult.
On the other end of the spectrum, Nicholas Campanella, a senior marketing student, believes that an internship is useful as long as it is a productive one. “As I begin hiring for my new business, you would be amazed how many kids I see put ‘worked in finance,’ or ‘worked in marketing’ but then I find out they just did some menial task that did not add much value,” he said.
He also added that you should intern to gain experience and gain value from it; you should not, however, intern simply because it will look good on your resume.
Interning will also help to bring you out of your shell. In the Spring, I interned for a nonprofit organization called Lunch Break.
I was always so shy and reserved while my supervisor was bubbly, loud, and she could light up a room. My supervisor wanted me to interview clients, volunteers and donors to create a ‘story bank’ she could pull from and use them for appeals and newsletters.
In the beginning, I was a nervous wreck conducting interviews, but as time went on, I was more than comfortable doing it. Interning allowed me to be comfortable interviewing anyone and everyone, and it also helped me realize what I am truly passionate about.
“Time management is also a crucial skill for students seeking to balance internships with course work. I would recommend acquiring and using a good scheduling tool,” Hokanson said
Finding an internship is difficult, but maintaining your regular schedule as well as balancing an internship on top of that as well as day to day aspects, is even harder. A suggestion that many students have suggested is investing in a planner.
So, for those of you who are a freshman like Greiss or an upperclassman who did not intern yet, make the most of interning, apply skills from the classroom while completing your internship, and do not be afraid to put yourself out there!
PHOTO TAKEN by Alexandria Afanador
