While baby-sitting, grass-cutting and working at McDonald’s show that you have work experience, they will not impress prospective employers.
Contrary to popular belief, internships do not provide lessons on glorified coffee making and paper filing. Rather, they give students the chance to gain hands-on experience in a possible future profession.
In today’s fast-paced world, the internship is changing, and the importance of internships has grown greatly over the past few years.
Internships enable students to experience realistic, professional working situations while participating in a hands-on manner. Such experience is becoming a necessity because companies have begun to require applicants to have more practical skills and training before they even consider hiring them.
There are many reasons that internships have begun to be such an important aspect of a college education. Not only do internships give an opportunity for students to practice what they learned in their classes, but they also build valuable business networks.
Thus, finding and participating in an internship program is an important step in a student’s career path.
When students participate in internships and add contacts and references to their resumés, they open an infinite number of doors to their future.
In addition to giving students an idea of how the workplace operates, internships provide students with a competitive edge when seeking employment. Companies have begun using internships as a hiring strategy.
Having internships under your belt places you above the competition with invaluable experience. Whether the internship is paid or unpaid has nothing to do with its long-term value.
While many people do receive college credit for their internships, the most important aspect is what the internship offers for your future.
Internships help many gain confidence in their abilities, gain practical experience in their chosen career fields and, most importantly, put their name out into the business world.
Internships have never been more important. Take advantage of all they have to offer.
Information obtained from Engineering News Record, Korea Times, University Wire, Daily Forty-Niner via U-Wire and the Post-Crescent as found on Nexis-Lexis and Business Week Online, Black Collegian and Canadian Manager as found on Ebscohost.