While working your butt off in school is important, as you get closer and closer to graduating, gaining real life experience should become a major priority.
Employers aren’t only looking for good grades and a degree. They also want to know what skills you can bring to the table and they’ll want to see proof.
This is why internships are essential. Now, a lot of internships are unpaid so you may not feel like it’s worth the time, but we assure you they will pay off.They Give You Hands-On Experience
Your internship experience won’t only help you land a job—it will help you keep a job too. You can only learn so much from books and lectures. Your direct experience in the field will create long lasting memories and lessons that will help you kick butt in your career. “Whether it is a paid or volunteer status, this involvement [in your desired field] will increase [your] confidence and savvy while exhibiting dedication and responsibility,” said Dr. Tim Love. Trust us, you’ll feel a lot more comfortable and confident when you know what you’re doing.
They Allow You To Network
Don’t limit yourself to just networking with classmates and peers. An internship gives you the opportunity to network with other interns, current employees or even customers, if it’s a customer facing internship. You never know who you could be impressing, so network with them, build relationships with them and market yourself to them. These individuals can become personal friends and help you land another internship or career after graduation.
They Enhance Your Resume
If you have had part-time jobs during high school and college, they may not directly relate to your field of study. Working retail shows that you have a good work ethic, but it won’t exactly help you land an accounting position or something relating to psychology. Your resume will need something besides your courses that link you to a field, like an internship. If you apply for a position and are competing against hundreds, or even thousands, of other applicants who have the same four-year degree as you, your internship can give you a leg up on the competition. According to USA Today, “Ultimately, employers want to hire someone they feel will be able to get the job done.” Your experience will show what you can do.
They Offer You References
Most employers will ask for references and you’ll want to be able to add references that do not include your best friend, boyfriend and family members with different last names. The people you were networking with at your internship make great references because they are considered co-workers and they know you in a professional setting. This is exactly the type of insight employers will want to see. Your boss at the internship will also be a great reference so be sure to charm him or her as well.
We’re not guaranteeing that you will land your dream job right out of college because you were involved in an internship. What we are saying is that it is worth your time and effort. In fact, it’s more than worth it. Even if you don’t see the benefits right away, know that you networked and gained skills and knowledge for an impressive resume.
Feature photo via Refinery 29