Six Benefits of an Internship

Are you a final-year student? New graduate or just taking a gap year? Have you struggled with finding a job? Have you considered an internship? It is highly recommended that students, new graduates, and professionals looking for a career change take the opportunity to complete a period of hands-on experience to give them a competitive edge in the job market. This is where internships prove to be quite valuable.

In this article, I will discuss the six benefits of an internship and hopefully, these benefits will help you set goals and expectations for when you get an internship opportunity.

What is an internship?

An internship is one of the most popular ways to get real-world work experience. A learning curve offered by employers to students or graduates to expose them to a specific industry, work environment for a period of three, six, or even twelve months. Internships typically expose you to projects in various fields such as marketing, sales, financial services, etc. depending on the sectors available in the respective organization.

Finding internships?

The best way to find an internship as a student is to make use of campus resources (newsletters, job boards), research online using career job boards, and reach out to people at your dream organization.??

Here are 6 benefits of internships:

1.Work Experience

Degrees are exciting achievements. However, developing a career involves hands-on/practical experience. A primary reason to participate in an internship is to integrate academic theory with real-world problems.

2. Career Exploration

Internships allow you to explore potential careers to help you choose what professions would fit best. When you face the realities of a job, your career aspirations may change. An internship is therefore a ‘try before you buy’ option that can help you determine if this is something you wish to pursue in the long term.

3. Gain both practical hard and soft skills

Internships allow you to gain practical and technical skills that make your CV glow. The most valuable skills you will learn at work or in an internship are those you will not learn in school. These skills include communication, teamwork, interpersonal skills, and specific work tool skills that are closely related to the role. These skills set you apart from everyone else when applying for jobs.

4.Work with experienced leaders who provide feedback and growth opportunities

Internships give you the chance to work directly with industry leaders who have experience in the role you are aspiring to. These leaders act as mentors/coaches providing you with constructive feedback on both your work and personal development.

5. An opportunity to build connections and network.?

During the internship, you will have the opportunity to work together with other interns on different projects. This allows you to not only build professional relationships but make lifelong friendships while you're there. As you progress in your career, you can assist one another in obtaining positions or getting recommended for openings at other companies.?

6. Opportunity for retention?

Some organizations use internships as a way to build talent pipelines to fill full-time positions. For employers, internships can be a smart way to hire for open roles as it saves time on lengthy interviews, saves cost on training and reduces the time to fill roles. So you could be walking away with an offer letter after your next internship.

Until you've worked in a professional environment, you can't really understand what a job is all about. By pursuing an internship you will be able to put your skills to the test, explore your career options, and understand more about an organization or career path. Now that you know these benefits, go ahead and visit our webpage to kick start your career journey.