Internship Facts - Why Intern?

While it may seem that getting an internship nowadays is more of an internship or "when” than "if," it is still important to decide for yourself whether an internship is the right choice for you.

The truth is there are very few reasons not to pursue an opportunity for experiential learning, skill development and preparation for the real world. It seems that the biggest reason to pursue an internship placement is because it is expected.

But that isn't the only reason. There are many things that an internship can do for you that a traditional lecture or job simply cannot. The skills that you will gain at your internship will range from communication to organization to industry specific skills. Having an internship also gives you the experience of working in an office, and being responsible for your actions. For perhaps the first time, you will not only be responsible for seeing a project through to completion, but you will likely have other people depending on you and your work to complete their own projects.

The rise in popularity of internships has resulted in employers thinking about interns as more than office help; the best programs truly look for ways to incorporate interns into everyday work through shadowing and team building.

The most important reason to do an internship, however, is that an internship is a kind of summer (or semester) - long interview. Many employers will make job offers based on your performance as an intern; this means less stressing at the end of your senior year looking for a job and figuring out what to do with your life! If the field and/or company interest you when your internship is done, don't be afraid to express interest and ask about employment opportunities for you upon graduation.

Another reason to get an internship is to help figure out what you don't you don't want to do. Of course, you should never enter your internship hoping that it doesn't work out, but working in a less than perfect atmosphere can help you prioritize the things that will make you happy in the future. Perhaps you figure out that you probably won't be happy working at a huge office, or that event planning wasn't what you thought it would be, and maybe you'd rather work for the non-profit organizations throwing the parties. Without the feet-first, real world experience, coming to those conclusions can be much more difficult.

 

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