Are you a student worried about what you will do after graduation? Do you know what you want to do for your future career? Are you looking for ways to make sure that you are ready and have enough experience for said career?
Well, a solution to all of those concerns may be securing an internship.
An internship is a short-term work experience offered by companies for students and others, to get entry-level exposure to a particular field or industry in which they hope to work in. Internships offer a professional work experience that allow workers to gain industry experience, explore a potential career path, develop themselves and learn new skills.
Internships have many benefits and are essential to becoming a part of the workforce as a student. At many schools it is even a requirement to have an internship before graduating. By having an internship as a student, you are setting yourself up for success. Approximately 75% of interns on average, receive full-time offers after interning, which shows just how important internships are to have in the beginning of one’s career. These jobs can essentially start you on your career path.
Types of internships
o An internship can be paid or unpaid. While employees would generally prefer a paid internship, the experience for both is still the same. An unpaid internship could potentially look even better on a resume because it will show other employers that you are willing to work no matter what.
o Another type of internship is a cohort internship program. This allows multiple interns to work together in a group as opposed to doing all the work individually. A cohort program allows students to draw more insight and learn how to work well with others.
Here to discuss some of the benefits of having an internship, along with some friendly advice from the inside, is one of Sedna’s former business consulting interns, Priscilla Liu.
1. Benefits of a cohort internship?
- “When you enter a new workplace, you don’t know anyone and it might seem scary, so by coming in and having these people that are doing the same thing as you, you feel like you already know them, so it’s easier at the start and then you start learning how to do everything together. We all have different backgrounds, and we can learn from each other while also learning from the company. It allows us to expand upon our own experiences and learn about other people as well.”
2. What is the most important thing about getting an internship?
- “It gives you a big overview of what to expect if you want a similar role in the future. It can tailor your career path. You will gain valuable experience and learn new things. You can learn how to transition from student to worker, before you are fully out of school and in the workforce. It’s like a way to study for your future. Internships help guide you. You will learn different and new experiences. It’s a great thing to do to build your resume and to grow personally and professionally.”
3. What advice would you give for someone who wants to find an internship?
- “Different fields are different, but you should find what interests you, then look online through Indeed or zip recruiter. Also, schools may be able to help find some. A non-tradition way could also be to listen to the people around you, classmates or friends, they could know of their company needing a new intern or anything like that. Just utilize all of your connections.”
4. Best advice to a student who is about to start a new internship?
- “Get to know the company first. Gain background knowledge on what the company does, is all about and what their values are. Talk to employees that currently work there to get to know the company's work style. Research your role by going online and looking at what past interns in your position have done.”
5. How will an internship help accelerate towards a future career?
- “Just the overall experience will help you get there. Also, you learn so many soft and hard skills that you might not have had before. All different careers and companies use different platforms to communicate and do work, so it’s good to learn how to use all different ones, so you’re well rounded..”
6. Easiest and best way to learn the role and become good at it within an internship?
- “It’s good to talk to any mentors within the company you might have and just other employees. Communicate with other interns and see what they are doing (cohort benefit). Communicate and connect with employees in all departments to gain a deeper insight and perspective of the company as a whole.”
Having an internship will give you the experience you need in a field that you want to work in. It will give you an edge over other candidates when applying for jobs and also prepare you for what to expect once you are given that job. You will gain more confidence in your skills and in yourself. Put your resume and cover letter out there and start looking for an internship in a field that interests you. It can only help you and your future!
Comments