An internship is a temporary work experience that allows the individual to get some hands-on, real world, entry-level experience under their belt with the supervision and training of an experienced professional. Some internships are paid while others are unpaid, but the main focus of an internship is on experience. An internship should include learning goals that connect concepts learned in the classroom to real world scenarios in an effort to gain practical experience and help the intern accomplish their career goals. Internships are important because they offer a number of benefits to both students and employers.
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Devoting years of your life and education to a career is a big commitment. How can you be sure that it’s something that you really want to do for the rest of your life if you’ve never actually done it before? An internship can help answer this question by letting you sample the industry without a long-term commitment. A profession may not always be what we think it is and getting your hands dirty with some good old fashioned real world experience is the best way to find out if you’ve found the job of your dreams or just another 9-to-5 that pays the bills. The sooner you are able to figure this out, the sooner you can be on your way to having a fulfilling career in what you’re passionate about.
The old saying “it’s not what you know, but who you know” has some truth to it. A little bit of networking can go a long way, especially in competitive fields, and an internship is an excellent way to build relationships and network with professionals in the industry. An internship can also act as a 3-month-long job interview which is why some employers use internships as a recruitment tool. Do a great job, build relationships, contribute to the company, and when the internship is finished they may not want to let you go. At the very least, they can connect you to others in the field and provide a positive referral which can be extremely valuable. This also gives you an opportunity to get the inside scoop on the industry from people that have years of real world experience and their advice is invaluable when considering your future career plans.
Experience is golden, and the more experience you have the more valuable you are. Employers are always looking for candidates with experience. More experience means more skill, and more skill means you have more to offer a future employer. But how do you get experience if no one will hire you because you have no experience? An internship is a good place to start. Employers don’t expect interns to have a lot of experience or even any experience. It’s a good place to get your foot in the door. Additionally, the focus of an internship is to get experience. Interns are expected to be responsible, reliable, and professional just like an employee, but the objective of an internship is to get some basic hands-on experience. Additionally, an internship lets you develop or learn some skills that may be much harder to develop in a classroom setting. Think of it this way… reading how to ride a bike and actually riding a bike are two different things. Sometimes the best way to learn how to do something is to jump in and try it out.
An internship on a resume shows a prospective employer that you have some familiarity with the industry including some real-world training. This is especially true if the skills that were developed during the internship are listed on the resume. It can also be an indicator of your commitment to your career because it shows you’ve taken the initiative to get some hands-on experience. Additionally, a solid reference from an internship host shows that you’re trustworthy which is so important in today’s strong applicant pool. An internship with a respected employer could set you above the competition.
