Before you graduate, you want to make sure you can confidently look back on your time at college and know that you took every opportunity offered to you. Your course load, extra-curricular activities and volunteer work are a few of the many things future employers look at to determine if you are the best candidate for the job. The best way to prepare yourself for life after college is internship experience. Employers value this and know that interns do much more than get coffee and run meaningless tasks. Interns are an important member of the team and bring valuable skills to the table. If that wasn’t enough to convince you, here are some reasons you should have pursue an internship before you receive your diploma.
You get a sneak peek of the real world.
Internships are meant to give you actual work experience and teach you things that you won’t learn in a classroom. Everything you have learned and practiced in class can finally be applied to the real world and for a real company. What you produce as an intern will have an impact on that company opposed to only your final grade.
Helps you determine your career path.
Internships help you determine what jobs you want to look for when you leave college. They give you clarity on if you want to work in a corporate, non-profit or agency setting. It is better to find out what you prefer during an internship opposed to during a committed, full-time job.
Build your resume.
Your future employer wants to see that you went beyond just showing up to class during college. They want to see that you were a well-rounded student and took any opportunity you could to gain more experience and grow your skill set. An impressive resume showcasing your internship experience will get you noticed and considered for the next part of the interview process.
Opportunity to expand your network.
During your internship, everyone you interact with in the workplace instantly becomes a part of your network. These people are especially beneficial to have because they can attest to your hard work and dedication. This makes them an ideal reference when applying for future job opportunities.
Accumulating new skills.
There are some things and skills you can’t learn strictly inside the classroom. For example, you can learn a new software system that is beneficial to media monitoring.
Receive college credit.
This means you can graduate sooner and reduce the number of credit hours you need to complete. Most universities even require an internship before you graduate because they too understand the importance of having this experience.
Learn time management.
Internships help you learn to make the most of the time you have. You learn how to balance deadlines for multiple projects, participating in meetings and tending to miscellaneous pop-up tasks.
Consider making the investment in a meaningful internship that will help build your future in public relations. Your future employer will thank you!
