When I was in high school and college, I foolishly ignored opportunities for student internships in favor of paying jobs. Getting paid here-and-now always seemed more appealing than working “for free.” That was foolish logic, for several reasons:
First, some student internships are actually paid. So you can get your foot in the door in a field of your choosing while getting paid to do so. What’s not to like about that? Even if an internship is not paid, if it earns you college credit, you can view that as money in the bank. If you’re in school, check and see how much your credits are costing – if you can “work a few off” then it’s the same as getting paid.
Next, the opportunities, learning, and networking you can find in an internship are invaluable. If you are young and inexperienced, a company is more likely to hire you as an intern simply because they are not “investing” that much – an internship is usually temporary. If the company doesn’t like a temporary intern, they don’t need to go through the mounds of paperwork and legal “hoops” that they would if that person was a permanent employee and needed to be fired. The ‘up’ side of that logic is, if the company LOVES you as an intern, it is likely that you can find a permanent work ‘home’ with them. A permanent job following an internship is a ‘win-win’ for the company and the worker, because both had a chance to ‘try each other on for size’ before to the hiring date.
Finally, even if you do not continue working with the company after your internship, it adds wonderful dimension to your resume, and will likely get you a great person or two to use as a professional reference when your ‘real’ job search begins! Also, internships should allow you to learn a little something about the world of work, about a field you are considering, and about yourself. Those lessons are priceless – consider making yourself more marketable with a student internship.
View internship jobs and apply online today!