When you begin to look for full-time work, you start to realize just how essential having work experience is.
You’ll see job offers that constantly ask for a minimum of two years of experience or more.
That is why it’s so important to do an internship when you can!
There are so many benefits to joining an internship program. It provides a huge advantage when you are applying for jobs, and can set you up for a successful career.
For those reasons, internships are essential for anyone who wants to get ahead in their career.
Internships offer students and young jobseekers:
- Experience working in the field of their choice
- Building a strong resume
- Chance to meet potential mentors
There are a lot of things you should keep in mind when applying for internships, such as using a resume builder before sending your application in.
We explain all the internship advantages below and provide expert advice to help you land the perfect temporary position below.
What Is an Internship?
An internship is a temporary position that provides training, experience, and mentoring to help you develop your professional skills.
You can typically gain an edge over your competition by doing an internship before applying for full-time work, thanks to the work experience you can put on your resume.
Internships are a great way to gain experience and learn new skills in your field of study.
They give you the chance to work in a real-world setting, so employers know that you have what it takes to succeed once you’re hired full-time.
Your school or college may organize an internship for you; otherwise, look for opportunities on job boards or through other organizations in your community (for example: civic groups).
Paid vs. Unpaid Internships
When you hear that internships can be paid or unpaid, it seems like a no-brainer which one to choose, right?
However, it’s not that simple.
While you may get paid in one, there are positives and negatives to both types of internships.
Unpaid internships are often a great way to get your foot in the door and gain experience, but they can also be a waste of time if you’re not learning anything from them.
There are fewer paid internships available, so do your research on the companies that offer them and look for ones that will provide something valuable for you as an employee.
Ensure that you’ll be in a learning environment before taking an unpaid internship.
However, the same can apply to unpaid internships. You’ll likely have a much easier time finding unpaid internships, but make sure it will be worth the (non-paid)working hours.
To apply for either type of internship, remember to be professional. That means you’ll need a professional-looking resume, even if it’s your first one.
Use a resume template to create your resume for your internship application, and you’ll have a better chance of getting the position.
Where to Find an Internship
Finding an internship isn’t that hard to find if you know where to look and who to ask. Many times, a company is out searching for interns.
One of the advantages of doing an internship while you’re still studying is that your college can help you find one.
However, if you’re not currently studying, you’ll still have plenty of opportunities to find the perfect internship for you.
Here are the most common places to go to find an internship:
- Career fairs: Many colleges and businesses host annual career fairs, where students can meet representatives from various companies interested in hiring interns or new employees.
- Your academic advisor: Going to your college academic advisor is also a great way to learn about internship opportunities. Usually, they are aware of businesses that want interns and upcoming job fairs.
- Reaching out to companies: You can also contact companies directly and give them your resume. They may not need someone right now, but they’ll keep your record on file.
Pro-tip: Check out virtual fairs, that have become popular over the last few years.
When trying to land an internship, handing in an application with a resume that has the correct format and information is key. Remember to have one ready when you attend a job fair or get in contact with a business.
Top 5 Benefits of Internships
There are benefits of internships for students and benefits for just about anyone else that is trying to start a career in a new field.
You will likely face the prospect of having to do an unpaid internship, but even if you aren’t paid, don’t miss out on everything an internship can offer you.
Check out the benefits below and see why you should do an internship if you have the opportunity.
Gain experience in your field
The first and arguably most important reason for doing an internship is to gain experience in your field of study.
You may be surprised at how much you can learn about a company by spending time there.
While working, you’ll be building on your skills and learning to adjust to problems that the job will throw at you.
When it comes down to it, hiring managers to want to see that a job applicant has some kind of work experience and measurable skills.
Doing an internship will help you prove just that.
Grow your professional network
An internship is a great way to meet people in your field and gain experience with them.
You may find that you’re interested in the same things as one of your coworkers, or you might be able to network with someone outside the industry who can help you in the future.
Many internships provide opportunities for employees at other companies or organizations to visit or collaborate with interns on projects.
LinkedIn is becoming more and more influential when it comes to finding job opportunities. Meeting professionals in a business can help you become of job openings.
You can even follow the company you did the internship and get first dibs on a vacancy.
Add to your resume
Experience, skills, and references, you can add more of those to your resume by being an intern.
The skills section on your resume will look great after you have been working as an intern for some time.
You will most likely learn things you never even knew you had to do in a job. You can also meet people that can write a recommendation letter for you.
An internship is great for a high school or college student that needs to develop their skills and add some experience to their resume.
Get a full-time position faster
The job market is competitive and internships can help you stand out. You’ll be working right in front of a hiring manager, of course.
You have your foot in the door, so they may call you back
So that means, when it comes time to look for a new employee, they’ll be considering you straight away.
There are plenty of stories of college students who get offered full-time jobs right off the bat because a manager liked what they did during their internship.
Become more confident
The overall objective of an internship is to learn.
One of the best things about internships is that you can learn from your mistakes. You won’t be held to the same standards as a full-time employee, and won’t have to worry about making life-changing mistakes that could damage your career or reputation.
You will work on projects that are more in line with your skill level, which means that it will be much easier for you to succeed at what you do.
The employees will know you are an intern and normally won’t have trouble offering you a helping hand.
Learning how to deal with criticism and failure is an important part of growing as a person, so take advantage of this time by working hard and learning as much as possible.
This will make you a more confident intern and eventually employee as time goes on.
It may feel like an eternity when working on an internship project, but it will pay off in the end!
The bottom line is that if you want to be successful in your career, you need to know how to navigate the real world.
This means getting more than just theoretical experience. That’s where internships come in handy.
They allow you to gain hands-on experience working with a team and hone your skills by doing real work for companies or organizations of all sizes.
After completing your internship, it’s time to take what you have learned from the experience and apply it toward landing your full-time dream job.
