Why Internships are so Important
Let’s be honest, most of us have no clue what we want to do after graduation. It’s stressful enough deciding where to spend the next four years of your life, but choosing your major is another story. Yes, you can switch majors or add a minor, and many people do, but it’s expected pretty early on that college students know what they want to study and what they expect to come from their education. Most college majors are pretty broad, and allow multiple options when it comes to specific career paths. This is where internships come in.
Internships, while they may not always be paid, provide the perfect opportunity to receive “real world experience” in your area of study. While also allowing students to decide if this is truly a career they can picture themselves taking on in the future. This provides a unique experience, one that cannot be taught in a classroom or from a textbook. Internships give insight to a specific industry and the everyday lives of those who work in that environment. Aside from experience, internships are a great source of networking. Whether it be by building a good relationship with the person who hired you or just through socializing and meeting new people in the office, the more people you know, the more connections you have. These people might be the key to your success when it comes to assistance in getting a job, or providing you with a great recommendation.
College is a busy time, between classes, work and meeting new people, but it’s the time to explore all options and gain as much knowledge and experience as possible. It’s a safe place to explore all of the possibilities out there before jumping into the big-wide world. In fact, this is something we are expected to know once we’ve decided where the next four years of our lives will be spent. It all begins with the decision that you’ve picked the college you’ll attend for the next four plus years of your life. It’s great and all to have made this decision, however, what about a major? A career? These are the real questions at hand, which really, you spend the duration of college trying to answer.
Endicott College has a unique curriculum, which requires three internships; two 120 hour internships that are completed during winter or summer break both Freshman and Sophomore year, and a semester long internship Senior year. Internships are becoming very popular, as most schools are realizing the importance of providing students with necessary connections in their field of study.