As a rising junior or senior in college, getting an internship is one of the most essential parts of the journey to self-discovery and exploring deeper into what one wants to pursue a career in.
Becoming an intern is chocked-full of benefits because it helps the student gain an array of experience in the field they want to work in. Depending on the internship, students not only have the opportunity to develop new skillsets applicable to everyday life but also gain exposure to real-world situations that will help prepare them for a future full-time job.
Learning how to speak professionally over the phone or how to develop a face-to-face connection with a client, are just two of the many examples an internship can help one to do. From discovering how to use new and advanced computer programs, to editing and publishing videos online, to writing a monthly company newsletter, learning is a never-ending process as an intern.
Regardless of the type of internship, strengthening these skills are some of the key building blocks in helping the student raise their self-confidence in their abilities as a worker and as an individual. The more skillsets a student develops increases their chances of being a top candidate for jobs they apply for.
Furthermore, as an intern, the student will be able to determine what they like and dislike career-wise, a crucial part of the self-discovery process. If the student finds that they are unhappy or uncertain about the environment, and kind of work they are doing, this will not only help them narrow down the kind of field they want to work in long-term but is a chance to redirect themselves down a path to something more fulfilling and purposeful.
Internships also allow the student to network with others who can open doors to new opportunities and potential future full-time jobs. Networking is an imperative part of the career finding process because it helps the student meet a wide array of people who share similar interests and goals who can help one another get to where they would like to be.
In addition to this, students can add their internship experience to their very own résumé to show their future employer all the expertise they have acquired. Including this kind of experience on your résumé is a huge selling point, especially when employers see that the internship experience can potentially help improve their business and add another great employee to their team.
Although getting an internship for the first time can be daunting, it is one of the best things a college student can do to begin building up their résumé, to discover themselves as individuals, and to allow them to figure out their passion in life.
Internships are meant to guide students and pave the road to success after they graduate college, which is why having one is so essential, it leads to avoiding any wrong turns. But who is to say that the wrong turn isn’t the right one?
PHOTO COURTESY of Monmouth University
