The Benefits of Internships (Part 1) – For Students

After being on both sides of the fence I now know how beneficial having an intern and being an intern can be. From my experiences, internships are a win-win situation and here’s why, in two parts, students and businesses.

Part 1 – For Students

In my last year and a half of college I tried to be as proactive as I could be to prepare myself for “the real world.” In that time I completed six internships. I knew it would be hard to find a job right after I graduated so I had to make myself as appealing as I could be and I knew that interning was the answer.

Experience

Employers are looking for people with experience, but how do you gain experience when no one will hire you? Internships.

Through my experiences I’ve come to learn that most companies understand that intern candidates are still in school and don’t know everything just yet. Since companies take this into consideration, often times there’s more patience and understanding in the work place. And, since they’re probably not paying you, there’s a little more wiggle room if you make a mistake.

Learning

There’s also nothing like working alongside professionals to see how things are done in that company and in that industry. To be able to pick a professional brain.

I learned more through my internships than I ever did in a classroom setting. In an internship you learn on the spot. It’s a lot less thinking about how you might maybe do something and more just doing things. Less theory, more practice. Hands-on experience is the fastest way to learn something.

Networking

The networking opportunities available through an internship are gold. Meeting other professionals through a work setting is so beneficial for a student. Having someone introduce you to other professionals and speak credibly about your work and skills is like hitting the jackpot. If your supervisor notes how hard you work or how talented you are to others, who knows what kinds of opportunities that could bring.

Portfolio/Resume Building

Completing an internship teaches you skills that you may not learn within the classroom. Skills and accomplishments that you can put on your resume or in a portfolio show future employers that you have experience. Having a portfolio shows that you not only learned a skill but also know how to apply it.

I highly encourage every student to do at least one internship. The benefits are endless.

Tune in to next week’s post on how businesses benefit from internships, but in the mean time check out new internship openings!