Internship benefits include gaining meaningful experiences, meeting new people, and learning various skills, which can all be helpful when pursuing career fields. Applying for an internship can help you gain experience in your desired profession and become more confident in that choice. It can be a good start for networking as you connect with your employer and colleagues. You can also refine your skills and learn new ones during internships to become more experienced for future employment. Internships can give you many opportunities and be a great starting point for getting into the workforce.
Benefits of Internships
1. Apply and Refine Your Skills
Developing your skills is very important when starting a career, especially if you can apply what you learned from your education. Getting hands-on experience is crucial because it allows you to refine your skills more quickly than you could with schooling alone. For example, you may know math’s fundamentals and theories based on what you learned in class. Still, an internship can teach you how to apply that knowledge in the field for specific occupations such as engineering, computer programming, and business analysis.
Another way to improve your skillset is by observing the professionals you work with and asking them questions about their work. Be sure to also request feedback and advice from them. It helps to document what you learn from them in a journal. Doing so lets you know what you need to improve so you can move forward in your career. You can refine your skills by capitalizing on their input and developing abilities to make you stand out.
2. Gain Work Experience
Internships allow you to gain practical work experience, which is required by many employers. Because internships do not require prior experience but rather allow the novice to gain relevant experience, it is a great way to build your resume for future employment.
Furthermore, internships help prepare you to tackle the hardships of your future job. Like an employee, interns often have meetings, deadlines, reviews, group projects, and other work-related pressures. Learning to navigate these challenges as an intern can improve your confidence to confront them in your future job. This is especially true if the internship is in your chosen career field.
3. Establish a Network
Working in an internship benefits you because it will allow you to network with other interns, professionals, and employers. Through these valuable connections, you will gain access to information and opportunities to propel you forward. For instance, someone you meet at your internship can recommend you for job positions in the future.
To build these relationships, you should start by getting to know them as people. Learn about their backgrounds, interests, passions, and goals. Then make sure to stay in touch with them periodically to maintain a professional relationship. This could be as simple as emailing them to check in on how they have been, speaking with them at events, or inviting them to meet for coffee. Making and maintaining these connections can help you immensely during and after your internship.
4. Access Other Opportunities
An internship can often lead to a paid employment position with the organization. Employers often use internships as an interview and assessment stage for their staff. This allows them to gauge your skills and observe how you deal with challenges, so they can determine if you are a good fit for the company.
You can increase your employer’s interest in you by taking initiative in the internship. Make yourself stand out by arriving on time (and even early), taking on more tasks, and offering additional help. Make sure to take their feedback seriously, implementing changes to show your growth. Exceeding your employer’s expectations is key to turning your internship into a full-time job.
Find Internships
To gain these internship benefits, you will need to know where to find internships. One way to find internships is to ask your professors for recommendations of places to apply. You can also talk to your peers to see if there are any internships they are applying for, as they may interest you as well.
To learn about opportunities specifically related to your intended career field, you can join different clubs and organizations. This will allow you to meet new people and hear about new internship openings. Career fairs are another great way to learn about internships. There you will meet recruiters from various organizations with current openings. To find these career fairs, check what dates your college is hosting them, or use careereco.com to search for upcoming virtual ones. If you are unsure of which career is right for you, check out our blog about finding your interests on your career path to help you get started.
Another online tool you can use to find internships is internships.com, which allows you to search by field (i.e design, software engineering, marketing, and the like). You can also use idealist.org to search for internships on-site, remote, or both. With these tools, you can find internships that are right for you. Once you found the right fit, the next step is to apply!
Apply for Internships
With being hired as an intern as the goal, start by reviewing your resume. Check out our blog for specific resume tips. Update it with your relevant experience, skills, and accomplishments. Keeping your options open and applying for multiple internships is also good, but try not to overwhelm yourself either. Filter your search by the fields or roles you are interested in so you are not overwhelmed by the number of job postings. You also need to track when the applications are open, along with the deadlines. Some jobs are seasonal, meaning they will have specific timelines for applications, which are important to follow. For example, if an internship you are applying for is in the summer, then the time to apply for them would usually be during the fall semester. Some jobs have more flexibility with their timelines, but it is still essential to apply as early as possible.
Be sure to read the instructions for the application and follow them accordingly, otherwise, your resume may not be accepted even if you have the skills required. If you are scheduled for an interview, you will need to prepare by researching the company’s background and goals so you know which questions to ask. You should also ask questions about the role you are applying for so you can get more details about what your responsibilities will be, as well as ask about the preferences of the organization. Practice the interview with someone close to you or one of our tutors so you can be clear and concise during the interview. Most importantly, follow up with the companies you applied to after one to two weeks to confirm they have received your application and see if they need additional information to review.
Conclusion
An internship benefits you in many ways. Internships can refine your skills and give you a chance to get advice from professionals in the field. You can also gain work experience to help build your resume and increase your confidence. Additionally, internships allow you to build an extensive professional network to access your career path. An internship can even become your first job if you work to exceed your supervisor’s expectations.
If you want to learn more skills to help you in internships, you can do so through our learning and life skills services with WorldWise Tutoring! For instance, one of our handpicked tutors can help you develop higher emotional intelligence to help you communicate in the workplace more effectively, learn effective problem-solving strategies and how to apply them and learn how to analyze your past struggles and mistakes so you can make improvements. With these skills and our tutors’ help, you will better grasp your learning style, understand how to navigate difficult situations, and become more efficient in the workplace. Traits like these will make you more valuable to the employer and stand out among other applicants.
Written by Xavien Timoll
