Internships are a great way to earn experience in your designated field of study; however, I think there are a lot of expectations that come with the internship experience. I completed my undergraduate internship this past summer, and from applying to completion, the experience was a whirlwind of emotions. While I did feel like my internship experience was a good one, there were various points of the process where I felt unprepared. Here are some things that I hope others take into consideration when going through the internship experience.
The first thing that I think is really important to consider during the application process is to not limit yourself in what you apply for. Internships are a way to explore your interests, and unless there are heavy guidelines on where your internship has to take place, keep your options open. My major has pretty broad career options, so I applied for a variety of different positions that were all interesting to me for different reasons. Doing this will allow you to really explore more of your options.
Another thing to think about when you are searching and applying for internships is to think about the transferable skills that you have improved upon during your time in college. Thinking about a mix of what you are interested in plus the skills you have will help you know what kind of internships to apply for, how to answer questions on applications, and how to narrow your cover letter. For example, I have gained and improved upon many research skills during college. I also like to write, so I tried to look for some research internships where I could utilize and improve these specific skills.
I had huge expectations for myself and my internship experience going into it. There are two things that I wish I could go back and really think about while going through the internship experience.
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First, especially for people going into social service fields, you are not going to save the world with your one semester internship. I had to really get this idea out of my head that my internship experience would change someone’s life. It simply was not an attainable goal and I needed this wake up call throughout the whole process. Second, I had large expectations about the work that I would be doing as an intern. Something I learned throughout my experience was to not underestimate the work that you are being assigned. Even if you are doing things that you don’t think will be beneficial to you or aren’t important, I think it is important to embrace the work you are doing. Once I got out of my own head and embraced my internship experience, I learned more and enjoyed my experience more.
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Finally, the internship applying process can be stressful and full of rejection. I think it’s important to utilize the resources available to you. First, check your university website for any resources they may have. Illinois State University’s career services’ page has many resources available for students to prepare for internships. Reading other people’s experiences can also guide you in your own process. There are various Reddit threads that give advice about the whole internship experience. There are many other resources online and through universities that can be extremely useful throughout the process.
Internships allow students to get relevant field experience. The process can be overwhelming and stressful, but by the end of the internship, you may have a clearer idea about your future. It’s important to take full advantage of the experience and learn as much as you can.