In the summer of 2015 I decided to apply to an internship that seemed interesting to me but wasn’t in my field. My reason for applying and participating in this internship was to get real experience in an office environment, but not necessarily to find a career path for myself. Now, in the Spring of 2017, I am participating in my third semester in the “experimental” internship program and have found a new, and exciting, path for my future. While not everyone will have this same experience, here’s why I think it is worth a shot to take a semester to try out something you’re interested but unsure about:
1.You will gain valuable experience that can be added to your resume. In business courses we often talk about these kinds of “transferrable skills”. These can be anything from the ability to work on a team to leadership skills. Whether or not you end up deciding on pursuing a career inline with your internship, you will be able to market the skills you gain while participating in it.
2. You may find your dream job or find a field that you definitely want to stay away from. While I haven’t thought about what my “dream job” is in a long time, I have certainly found a path that I believe will lead to a happy life. But it is also important to note that a variety of other experiences are possible. There is always the chance that you go into a new field and learn that it is not what you want to be doing. But at the end of the day, whether you love or hate it, you will learn about yourself. (This holds true for an internship in your desired field as well!)
3. IF you do find your dream job, you have experience from the start! Whether you can go into the field ASAP or need more school in order to land your perfect position, you will already have experience to get you started. This will help you to obtain more internships and even a future career!
My suggestion is to try for a more experimental internship before you reach junior status just incase you find that you need a change of major! Of course, you can change your path at any point in life, but I have found that it is helpful to have some more wiggle-room. It never hurts to get some experience outside of your regular box so let your imagination run wild!