I’ve come to learn by talking to my friends that internships and volunteering are very controversial when it comes to deciding whether or not they are worth it. They are either too time consuming or thought to be not worth it. Being as I’ve done both, here are the benefits that I’ve gathered from personal experience.
Internships in particular can provide you with many benefits. One of them is getting a better insight as to what you are studying. For example, I had the chance to get an internship with my Cegep’s leisure department. Since I study leisure and recreation, this was like finding a needle in a haystack. This internship gave me so much knowledge as to what is leisure, how it can be brought into classrooms, communities and offices. It was so much fun and interesting I would definitely do it again. It gave me such a concrete view as to what I can expect once I get out of school. In this sense, internships are extremely helpful and are definitely worth the time and the effort.
Something that was also given to me was a clear path and mindset as to what I would want to do in the future as a career. This internship helped me realize that I would definitely consider working for a school in the high school or Cegep level. Internships can allow you to realize what you like and what you do not like in your profession. In leisure specifically, there are so many places I could decide to work in once I finish school. This can help understand what I would like to do and what I wouldn’t want to do with my profession. I believe this was one of the most gaining information I gathered from partaking in this internship.
Volunteering and internships also give you very important work experience. When you go for an interview, you want your CV to have as much pertinent information and experience as possible to show that you have the experience and what it takes to take on the tasks of that particular job. More specifically, volunteering is something interviewers love to see on a CV. The fact that you were willing to give your time to help others shows them what kind of worker you can possibly be for their company.
These are what I believe to be the biggest benefits of internships and volunteer work. They can be very time consuming, but the outcomes are always amazing. It is definitely something to consider during your university years.