Why College Internships are a Necessity Today

As I am finishing up my own internship, I have gained lifelong skills that will beneficially impact my life as I move on to new experiences. Any internship offers something different, whether it’s new people, new atmospheres or new tasks; an internship can help you reach your future goals.

Here are my 3 points of view of how beneficial internships are.

1. THE PEOPLE
Having an internship as a college student with an established company, allows you to network with people you ordinarily wouldn’t.  Meeting new people during an internship can help you make connections for a possible future career. According to Forbes, internships have been one of the best ways to get a job since 2013!  As a college student you have to make the right impression to all the right people and then who knows, you might just land your dream job! At any point in time within your current or future internship you could be corresponding with a future career connection.

MY ADVICE: When you start an internship, try to get to know who you’re working with. Find common ground for connections and most of all work hard to show them what a great intern you are.

2. THE ATMOSPHERE
Having multiple internships in different places is actually very beneficial. Not only do you learn how to get to new places around your city or in a new state but you also learn how to adapt to new surroundings. Having a hands-on internship versus a behind the desk internship can be challenging at times to know what to do or how to do it. Having multiple internships allows you to distinguish the situation you’re in which future employers appreciate hearing about.

MY ADVICE: Have multiple internships that are all different from each other regarding location and type of internship. Being thrown into different surroundings makes you a well-rounded intern or future employee.

3. THE TASKS
As an intern you will be asked to complete several different tasks and duties that might require mental, emotional and physical strength. You will gain skills that you would have never thought you would know about. No worries, this is a good thing! It allows you to become more knowledgeable about how different things work and you could even gain the superlative of the “smarty pants” by the end of college.

MY ADVICE: Complete every assignment that’s given to you and even ask if anything else can be done. There’s nothing wrong with trying to overachieve for an internship.

As a college student internships are very important because they truly help shape the person you want to be one day. If you keep these three things in mind you will truly see how beneficial an internship can be.