College students already have stressful lives. Between our schoolwork, part-time jobs, organizations, committees and social lives, we are basically booked for four years. However, sometimes college students can forget about one crucial matter that can significantly make or break our futures. Those dreaded INTERNSHIPS. Yes, I know they can seem super scary and intimating but they are oh so important for us as students!
If you don’t believe what you’re reading, here are some reasons to prove why internships are crucial and necessary.
1. They give you real-world experience:
In order to get a job someday, you will need experience to put on that resume of yours. No employer will hire you unless you have some sort of work, experience or portfolio that they can look at!
Internships are the perfect time to gain some of that real-world experience. Whether it’s paid or not, you are still given some work to do and therefore, get an idea of what grown-up land will be like.
2. They help you figure out what you like and dislike:
We all have an idea in our head of what we want to be when we grow up. And there are so many professions out there! But, to make sure we actually do like what we aspire to be, we have to test it out.
Getting an internship in the desired field that you want can easily help us figure out what we like and don’t like. You are able to see exactly what happens day to day in the office, at the studio or anywhere else! You might be surprised when you’re out in the real-world and discover that you might not like sitting at a desk for eight hours a day. It’s better to find that out before your first day of work at your real job!
3. They help you network:
When you apply and or receive an internship, you get to meet a lot of people. Of course you won’t remember all of their names at first, but over time you begin to grow relationships with these people and their names will never slip your mind.
It’s important to network and mingle with the people you are surrounded by at your internship because they can help you and advise you along the way. And not only can they help you during your internship, they can hire you as a full-time employee afterward! Many companies hire interns after graduation because they already have relationships with them; so make a lasting impression and you might have a guaranteed job after you graduate!
4. They help you get more internships:
Once you’ve completed one internship, I guarantee you will want to do more. You will realize that they do in fact help you and give a big boost to your resume. The more internships you will have, the more marketable and attractive you‘ll be to future employers!
The beautiful thing about doing multiple internships is that you don’t have to stick with one place or industry. Switch it up, have fun with it! Find different companies or organizations that interest you and gain experience within that field. This will show that you are a diverse and complex individual, adding a little extra spice to your portfolio.
Don’t you see? Internships are a blessing in disguise! The process and applications can be a pain to go through, but in the end it will all be worth it. You will be ahead of the game and already be ready for whatever the real-world hits you with.