The Whys of Internships

Future employers are looking for undergraduates who gain meaningful experience while at college. The current trend is for undergraduate students to find an internship the summer before they graduate from college. Internships are becoming more important for both employers and students.

From the employer’s perspective, a student who applies for a job with their company with little or no experience is a risk. This student has not had a taste of the real world experiences within their desired industry. Employers are looking more and more for those students who have gained this experience while at college. Employers see students with internships on their resumes as assets as well as top-notch candidates. Since Internships are becoming more and more competitive between students, only the top students will be the ones who gain this experience.

As a student, there are many benefits to having an Internship while at school. Will you ever really know something unless you try it? This question is why internships were developed. Students have the opportunity to test out a future career path while gaining valuable experience and possible income at the same time. Another great advantage of having an Internship is to network with other professionals in the Industry that may be able to assist you in the future. One last benefit of an Internship is that your school may give you credit for the work you do outside of school. Most schools offer an internship/externship program.

Planning for an internship starts early. The first step is to create a resume. Draw on experiences that you’ve found in the classroom and elaborate on them to fit the employers’ needs. Next, research potential employers and their internship requirements. Be sure to follow up with employers, the greater the persistence the better the response. Internships are a valuable tool to start your career off running. Students who have had these opportunities are the best ones to ask for advice.