Thinking of Completing an Internship?

Today, more employers are demanding that college grads be experienced in their respective fields *before* they get hired for full time positions. How do you get this experience you may ask? Well, you can gain this sought-after experience by completing at least one stint as an intern. For more reasons why it is a smart idea to complete a career-related internship, read on:

• If you complete an internship, you will, without a doubt, have an advantage over students who did not complete internships. That said, more and more employers now also expect students to complete internships in their chosen fields. However, in many cases, if you complete an internship, this on-the-job experience can count as credit towards your college education.

• Many people that complete internships have higher starting salaries than people that chose not to go the internship route. Additionally, employers often hire internships for permanent positions if they prove to be excellent performers during the course of their internship. That said, regardless of the outcome of an internship, this type of experience allows you to expand both your personal and professional network.

• When you complete an internship, you can “get a feeling” for what it would be like to work at that type of job on a day-to-day basis. In turn, if you discover that the field is not for you, you can just make the appropriate career adjustments. Furthermore, an internship can help to bridge the gap between full-time student to full-time employee or business owner.

• You will learn a variety of skills that you can transfer to other positions. For instance, you may learn specific job-related skills or you may simply learn how to sharpen your interpersonal relationship skills in a professional environment. Along similar lines, you will also gain a certain level of confidence with respect to your competence in the workplace and in your field.

Convinced that an internship is the right path for you? Great! Now, you just need to find the right internship. To do so, you can perform a simple Google search, or better still, you can visit Career Services at your college. Here, you should be able to find the required information and/or ask a career counsellor about potential internships. Once you have narrowed down your search, you should determine if the internship is a good fit for you. In order to find this information, you should read the job descriptions closely, research the companies that are offering the internships, and ask your career counsellor about feedback regarding the internships.

Overall then, an internship can offer you a valuable on-the-job educational experience that can only enhance your future career prospects.

Larisa Redins is a full time writer and editor with degrees in both Arts and Biological Science. She writes about career issues and other topics for a variety of international websites, magazines, and businesses.