Are Internships Overrated?
The Rat Race has begun. College students are hustling for internships, and those who haven't lined one up already have become desperate-- as desperate as those longing to be in a romantic relationship but remain single.
While internships can provide valuable hands-on experience, from what I've observed, it seems like most students obsess over the idea of an internship rather than the substance of one. Some despondent students end up accepting the crummiest internships just to have one (even when their only duties are to make coffee and copies).
This is not to suggest that accepting an internship at a corporation will not be rewarding. That said, I invite you to take a moment to consider if dedicating your summer to whatever you choose to do will help you gain worthwhile skills for your life ahead.
Although only a college freshman, I too have been swept up in the manic rush to find a respectable internship. As of now, I have applied to a few internships in Seoul, South Korea rather than in the US, because post-college I plan to live in Korea with the rest of my family. However, it won’t come as a big surprise to me if I’m not given any offers, given my lack of experience. So, as Plan B, I’ve decided to work on my own independent projects utilizing my photography and graphic design skills.
This idea came to me because my hometown of Dallas, Texas, ranked near the top in the list of cities with dining out cultures. As a result, we have a great variety of restaurants and eateries near and far. However, as I was browsing random restaurant websites, I noticed that the online layouts didn’t do the food justice. The photographs were taken in poor lighting and the sites were arranged so that information was difficult to locate.
In order to help out restaurants that have these issues, I’ve signed up for certification-granting graphic design courses at a community college. While taking classes, I’ll start working on independent projects with local restaurants and cafes to put to good use my interest in food photography and writing. Over the course of the summer, I hope to improve on these two modes of communication and obtain graphic design certification.
This is not just for fun because, while applying for internships, I noticed that corporations look highly upon effective communicators who also have graphic design and/or photography skills. While I have been more actively pursuing photography as a member of the multimedia team of NYU’s newspaper as well as independent shoots, I have yet to cross over from being a hobby photographer to being a practiced amateur or a certified professional. Graphic design is also a field in which I currently have little to no experience.
So, like I did, take the time to ask yourself this: What are the skills I don't have that are holding me back from tackling bigger opportunities? Summer is the time to eradicate these limitations.
Even under the pressure of the Rat Race, don’t forget to value yourself. While obtaining an internship, any internship, may be tempting, if it doesn’t offer you the opportunity to develop worthwhile skills, your time could be better spent elsewhere.
Don’t be afraid to be creative and take control by crafting your own projects. An independent project entry on your resume may just set yours apart from the hundreds of cookie-cutter resumes with office internships that were no more than glorified gofer jobs.
#SpringForward #StudentVoices
This post was edited by LinkedIn Campus Editor Amanda Proen?a Santos.
High School English Teacher, Fiction Writer
8 年I came across this from a comment you made on Lauren Berger's (Intern Queen) youtube. The comment simply said "Internships are overrated" with a link to this article. Provocative, but doesn't seem to be what your actual opinion is at all. While yes, internships can potentially be a waste, they usually provide the practical experience you talk about in your article. They are also much better for networking purposes than individual projects. I know far too many people who had jobs right out of graduation because of their internship experience, so I definitely think they have merit.
Senior HR Business Partner & Regional Talent Development at Capital Group
8 年Stumbled upon your article Grace Moon! I think besides crafting your own projects, more students should also take ownership of their learnings and development during their internships. From my experiences, the greatest takeaways during my internships came from the instances where I bit the bullet and stepped out of my comfort zone. Taking the first step to ask a senior leader out for coffee to learn more about their role, asking to be part of additional projects, speaking to other departments to understand the business better and the likes. Instead of waiting for opportunities to be given to you, step up and make these opportunities happen for yourself! Just my two cents worth. Cheers!
Vice President, Corporate Communications at Citi
8 年I've learned so much valuable information in my internships. It's one thing to learn about it in class, but another thing to be immersed in the field.
Senior Trade Marketing & E-Commerce Manager at Pernod Ricard Switzerland
8 年Really interesting to see how internships are valuated all around the world. In Switzerland, internships are kind of a lever to then get a Junior or Executive job opportunities. It is also kind of a mandatory way to enter a company and/or get a first experience after being graduated from high schools or universities. In my opinion, I still believe that internships allowed us to discover in which domains you want to specialize or not and are your first step in a professional Environment (really important in Switzerland). Best of luck for your future career!