The Technology Internship Advantage

I remember back during my time in college, when I was told by career services to consider the option of seeking an internship. I never gave it much serious thought, but now wonder where I might be if I had.

The uninitiated may ask what exactly is an internship? According to Laura Schneider at About.com, “An internship is a position at a company, usually held by a college or graduate student, and can be paid or unpaid. It is usually for a set duration of time (summer break, for example) and is relevant to the profession the student hopes to join after finishing school.” 

Many people, like me, may shy away from the thought of an internship due to the potential work-for-free scenario. Yet, Schneider continues, “The main benefit of an internship is to gain experience in the field you are planning to join as a career. It can be very difficult to obtain that first job when you have finished your degree(s), and being able to show practical work experience will make you much more marketable to an employer.” However, thinking long-term is important, because “there’s a good chance the internship could lead to a stable full-time job,” says Peachi Patel in an article at IEEE Spectrum.

Schneider, being more realistic, states, “Internships may be paid, which is also a benefit. Don’t expect the types of wages you would be making after graduation, though. If you are paid at all for your intern work, consider it a blessing.” While this is true, Patel mentions that for those that do offer a salary, “Internship pay at some tech companies exceeds that of the average annual wage of a US worker.” This is based on the recent Business Insider article entitled 20 Tech Companies That Pay Interns Boatloads of Money, which stated, “If you intern for a high-profile tech company, you can make more money than the average US citizen.” Companies like VMWare, Facebook, Microsoft, LinkedIn and Adobe top the list, which also includes Google, Amazon, Apple, HP, IBM and other big names. The best news is that many of these companies are currently hiring.

If you have the skills, do not be too short-termed in your thinking so as to be too quickly dismissive of the idea of taking an internship. Even if you are unable to land a coveted position with one of these twenty companies, look around; you may find a reasonable foot in the door with a company that can be of benefit and lead to a long-term career in the technology field of your choice.

Image courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net