It’s officially mid-spring semester and a growing sense of career-related anxiety pervades campus as students of all majors attend career fairs and networking events in the hopes of landing an internship or job this summer. About a year ago, I felt a similar combination of pressure and excitement as I began my search for my first internship, frantically perfecting my resume and preparing myself for career fairs and interviews. I was thrilled to finally conclude the process by accepting an offer to participate in Prudential Financial’s 10-week summer program as a Corporate Human Resources intern.
My summer at Prudential was both educational and enjoyable, as it provided me with the opportunity to understand the various functions of the business while getting to know other interns as well as seasoned professionals. When I mentioned my satisfaction and overall positive summer experience to my supervisor, she offered me the opportunity to stay on for the duration of my fall semester on a part-time basis. Delighted by this extension, I quickly rearranged my schedule so that I could continue working while remaining a full-time student at Rutgers for the upcoming fall semester.
Although interning in a corporate office while working toward your undergraduate degree may sometimes be exhausting, the experience will undoubtedly be beneficial to your educational, professional, and personal life! I encourage all students to search for similar opportunities in their major field of study so that they too can reap these 5 benefits:
1. Applying your coursework to the workplace
Reading textbooks and attending lectures are key to success in school and important to developing a foundation of knowledge. While we may not leverage all the material we read in our dense, 600 page books in “the real world”, it is nonetheless exciting and valuable to sit in on meetings and participate on projects that draw on topics relevant to your coursework and think, “I remember learning about this in class!”
2. Developing time management skills
Working while attending school trains you to think strategically about your time. When you are at work, you have responsibilities that are separate from those that are relevant to your classes. You learn to temporarily ignore the pressures of a work project while preparing for finals or, similarly, avoid thinking about the paper you have to write until the workday is over.
3. Staying busy all the time
If you have the opportunity to intern while attending classes, you will notice that there is never a dull day and each one is unique! Some days may include a casual stroll to a 5PM class, while others require a frantic sprint to catch the 5PM train; sometimes you’re wearing yoga pants and eating pizza in the dining hall and others you’re in a business dress, attending a “lunch and learn” with executives. This schedule keeps life interesting!
4. Building a network
Over the course of your internship, you will undoubtedly meet so many interesting people with unique educational and career backgrounds who are beyond willing to offer advice and share experiences with you. Working as an intern on various projects across different teams allows you to develop a network while learning about your major, the structure of the organization, and various career opportunities.
5. Preparing for the “real-world”
This experience will provide you with the opportunity to dip your toe in “the real world” before diving right into a pool of corporate professionalism. As a part-time or temporary intern, you only partially commit to the hectic schedule associated with a full-time job. Having an internship is thus a thrilling opportunity to gradually gain exposure to a lifestyle that many of us will pursue after college.