Test Drive a Career
When entering college you may have an idea of the career that you want to pursue once you finish your degree. However, it's important to ask yourself - what are you basing your decision? Having an internship allows you to get some experience in the career. You are able to work and talk with people who do this on a day to day basis. This test drive will give you the opportunity to discover if this career choice is what you want to do upon completion of your degree.
Opportunities to Network
You probably remember the saying "It's not what you know, but who you know". This is true, however there is another saying that I believe is the most important, "It's who knows you". It is great to have the skills and know a lot of people, but if they do not know you then what benefit is that to you. An internship allows you to meet different types of people, such as interns, recent graduates, and seasoned employees to develop your network. This network will be able to assist you when you're trying to start off in your career.Find A Mentor
When interning in a career that you want to pursue, you will be meeting different professionals who are doing what you may want to do upon graduation. When you are there begin to observe the actions of these people and find out who you most feel a connection with. Hopefully it will be mutual and you will be able to have that person be there to help guide you through your collegiate journey and professional career. A mentor is a great thing to have because they can help you avoid some of the mistakes they made and see that you succeed.
College Credit
Most colleges and universities offer will allow your internship to count as credit towards your degree. Maintaining full course load while working can be demanding. Therefore, try supplementing one or two of the courses with an internship that can count towards your academic progress. You will be earning college credit while gaining real world experience.Gain New Skills
When given a internship there will be times when you feel like you are not learning. However, there are those times when you are put in situation that our out of your comfort zone and this is where most learning happens. You will have the ability to develop new skills that you never thought you had. You may discover that you have a skill set that would be most beneficial for many disciplines, and this is something that can put noted on your resume.
So take the opportunity to discover what careers are out there by exploring the option on obtaining an internship. If you have any benefits on having on internship please share in the comment box below.
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