Summer is almost over and school is starting soon, and with that means internships. Internships are a great way to get ahead of your current classmates as well as have a better overall resume. Fortunately for my school, Delaware Valley University , we are required to have a certain amount of hours by the time we graduate. I will be starting the internship application process in the fall, and if it was anything like the college process, I am in for a treat. Here are six reasons why you should do an internship in school before you graduate.
1. Gain Career Related Experiences
So you just completed at least two years of college, and now are chock full of knowledge in that wonderful brain of yours. The best thing to do is to use that knowledge to your advantage. By getting an internship, not only can you use those skills, but you can gain new ones and share them with your fellow students.
2. Build Your Network
Networking is a very scary but rewarding thing. The great thing about networking is the potential job offers you may get. By having a good collection of connections, you can get a good reference for graduate school or your next job. Networking can also help you help your friends. They may need a contact at some point, and you just might have it!
3. Gain Self-Confidence
One of the biggest fears that most college students have is going out to the real-world and trying to find jobs. If interviewing for a job after graduation is your first real interview experience, it can be a little nervous and intimidating. By doing an internship in your undergrad years, you can be better prepared for what happens when you do go for your interview.
4. Explore Your Interests
College is a time to find out who you are and what your passions are. Internships are great for helping with that. Even if those passions have nothing to do with your major, they have everything to do with you. Those passions that you find are the ones that define you and help you decide what to do with your life.
5. Building a Portfolio
Portfolios are a great thing. Whether it be on a one page piece of paper or a book with thoughts and ideas, portfolios are great to get yourself across. Internships are good additions to any portfolio or resume. By having one for your interview, you can show the interviewer what you have done and any skills that you can bring to the company. Portfolios are great for after the internship too; you can add any new skills or ideas that you learned.
6. Transferable Skills
You are constantly learning skills, whether in school or at home, there is something always you can learn and teach. By doing an internship you can learn some amazing skills, which then can be transferred to your major classes, and even your every day life.
Internships are a great thing. They are even greater when you can get more than one. Of course, if you do one and decide that you don't like it, then good news, you can now change your major to your next passion. You do not have to worry about starting all over after graduation.
