Small efforts can add up to big rewards! By choosing to participate in an internship, you can gain valuable working knowledge and position yourself ahead of others vying for the same jobs. If an internship is available in your desired career field, you may want to take it!
Consider the following job-boosting benefits of an internship:
- Put your book smarts to the test. Nothing builds job experience quite like hands-on learning. Sure, you’ve learned plenty from your books and classes, but an internship gives you a chance to directly apply your knowledge.
- Gain valuable job experience. Imagine that: job experience before you’ve had the job! By learning and growing during an internship, you will be that much further ahead of your competition.
- Make professional connections. The people you work for and with during your internship can be valuable connections when you begin your job search. If you click well during your internship and a position opens up, who knows? You may get hired for that company! If not, you’ll have a network of professionals to contact for other job leads.
- Decide if you’ve chosen the right career path. The great part about an internship is that it’s not a long-term commitment. During your time there, you may decide you love your field, feel lukewarm—or simply want to choose a different path.
- Strengthen your resume with references. During your internship, your boss and coworkers will get a feel for your growing skills and work ethic—information that can help them generate impressive references to include with your resume.
- Develop your skills—and your confidence. No doubt, you have certain budding professional strengths. During an internship, you can refine your skills to become workforce-ready. Improved skills can add to your confidence. And confidence, of course, is what helps you deliver a killer interview to land your next job.
- You don’t have to limit your internships to just one! If you’re considering multiple positions or fields, why not participate in a few different internships to help you narrow your choices? The time you invest in your internships will surely save you plenty of wasted years in a job you don’t enjoy.
- Meet others with similar interests. Aside from networking, your internship will likely help you meet other professionals just like you. The more connections you have, the more doors may open to you in the future. Plus, you can make new friends, which can benefit your social life. Life isn’t all work, after all!
