The Benefits of Being an Intern
Sometimes interns complain and moan that they have to do the “dirty work!” In order to learn about an industry, interns need to start by doing the smaller, seemingly less important tasks in order to understand the detail that is vital for delivering the bigger projects.
Personally, I believe internships are always a positive asset to our lives as students. After being through a few internships, here are what I believe are the five main benefits of being an intern:
Decide if you are choosing the right career
Interning in any company, whether it is big or small, allows us to experience that industry. This helps us decide how much we really like it. As interns, we see what the work of a particular job role is actually like: sometimes we discover that we don’t like a role we thought was perfect for us and realize we prefer another job role in the same industry. It is always better to realize that we are interested in a different career while we are still in school than after we have graduated.
Work experience and developing new skills
Learning outside of the classroom gives students the opportunity to encounter problems that we otherwise only read about in books. When you encounter problems in a work environment, there is no book to turn to and double check whether an answer is right or wrong. Decision-making is crucial in a business environment and as an intern, students start to learn to analyze different options in order to make the right decision.
Gain confidence and competitive advantage
The more work experience one has, the better we feel about ourselves. Not only does our CV look better to potential employers, but also we feel more useful and prouder of ourselves and our accomplishments. This confidence helps us when applying for future jobs as we not only have more work experience, but also more experience when it comes to interviews.
Networking
The people that we work with and for in our internship are people who have already been in the work environment for a few years. These people already know the perks of our industry, the companies, and other people who move around the same or similar industry. When it comes to looking for a potential job, the people we have met in our industry can be very helpful!
Adaptability
It is time to graduate from university and get a little bit more serious. Now, we must be more responsible and work for ourselves. Someone who has already experienced what the work environment is like finds this transition a lot easier than someone who has never experienced life in an office.