Benefits of an Internship
I am SO excited to have my first guest post today! Taylor from Taylor Danielle Blog was an officer in a student organization I advise on campus. I have known Taylor for a few years and can only say great things about her hard work and dedication. Taylor is a fashion merchandising major and participated in a summer internship with Nordstrom. When she wrote a post titled “Tips on Landing an Awesome Internship” I just knew she needed to share some tips for my followers. Without further ado…
Benefits of an Internship
Relationships = Connections
We have all heard the saying “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” but once I completed my summer internship I found this statement to be absolute truth. The number and caliber of people that one encounters is great but you must take advantage of this and view it as an opportunity. During an internship program you will be allowed the opportunity to rub elbows with your superiors who may very well one day hire you and eventually promote you. Some may promote you or vouch for you based on the fact that you were an intern. Meeting and becoming acquainted with superiors is one thing, but building relationships with peers can also prove to be just as beneficial.
You get a glimpse of the real world
When I began my internship program I was faced with the fact that I would be working 40-50 hours a week, 5 days a week with some of those days being longer than 8 hours. As a full time college student for four years, I had never experienced that before and was in a bit of a shock for the first couple of weeks. I say all of this to say, interning gives you a taste of the real world with all of its benefits and hardships. Experiencing this while in school or fresh out of school can only help you to develop into the working adult you aspire to be. I also was given information on things like insurance and even 401k plans which I was not given while working summer jobs.
You gain experience/ communication skills
Being in a professional environment requires a new set of skills and a new way of thinking. Interning gives you an opportunity to learn new things from the bottom up and apply them as you learn. Without a doubt you will learn how to communicate with equals and superiors on a professional level because it is required of you. It is inevitable that you will pick up on new skills and communication styles when in such an environment. Depending on your field, your experiences will vary, but either way interning gives you the exposure you need. Nothing trumps the experience one gains from interning. Many times, the biggest lessons are learned when you mess up or fail at something but what better place to mess up and learn from those mistakes than during an internship program.
You will know if that’s what you really want to do
Learning and experiencing are two completely different things. Learning from someone else’s experiences is often times helpful. I interned as a manager, but I worked closely with someone who used to be a fashion buyer (something I originally thought I wanted to do). Just from talking to her and hearing about her experiences and her day to day tasks, I confidently made the decision that becoming a buyer is something that I just did not want to do. It did not fit my personality or my style of work ethic. With that being said, interning solidified some decisions that would have been “up in the air” for me otherwise. Interning helped me to narrow down the type of positions that I want to apply for once I graduate.
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Until next post…xoxo Becca
I agree with all of these, for sure, but I think interns should always be paid. Such a great post, especially for those just starting out in their career.
Hi Rachel! Thanks for commenting. Yes, I agree. I think internships should be paid because the companies are getting an addition to their workforce, even if its only for a month or two!
Internships are great! I had a couple on presidential campaigns and they really taught me more responsibility.
That sounds really cool! I went to school with a guy who interned with Greg Abbott and now works for the TX Governor’s Office.
Love this post! I interned throughout college at 5 different companies and it gave me a taste of the real world. Luckily all my internships were paid but I also realized how expensive it would be to live in Washington DC where I had interned.
Hi Liz! Thanks for visiting and commenting. Dang that’s a lot of places to intern, but I bet it gave you a pretty good perspective and looked wonderful on your resume when you graduated.
p.s. just followed you on fb and IG 🙂
This is such an informative post!! Thanks for all the tips 🙂 Being someone in university myself, i’m definitely going to start looking into internships! Thanks for sharing!!
Chante xo | http://www.chante-louise.com
Hi Chante! Thanks for commenting! I wish someone had told me when I was in college how beneficial an internship could be. As a higher education professional now I try to inform all students. Where do you go to school?
That’s awesome you were able to help guide your career path through your internship. I wish I would have realized when I was younger and going to school that a career in fashion could have been a viable choice, and it didn’t matter that I wasn’t a size 2 or 4. Now that I am older with a family I have to find alternative ways to obtain my dream career in fashion.
Hi SC Sister! Thanks for commenting! 🙂 I definitely think Taylor learned a lot from this fashion internship. I love that you influence fashion choices through your blog and social media! We all have dreams and just have to keep working towards them and stay on that path regardless of what is thrown our way.
This is so true! Thank you so much for sharing!
Delayna
http://www.delaynadenaye.com/
Thanks for commenting.
Great perspective on interning & excellent points! I had multiple internships that definitely helped define what I wanted & didn’t want in my career.
I love that! As a higher education professional I really encourage students to seek an internship. I believe them to be very eye opening. Based on the comments received on this post most people who participated in internships agree. Thanks for visiting and commenting!
I am so glad I came across this article! My niece is required to have an internship for her major, and she has been so nervous about the whole process. I am going to send this article to her now! Thanks!!!
Amber S. | http://www.thesuburbansocialite.com
Hi Amber! Thank you for commenting! Taylor wrote a wonderful perspective on the internship process. Also have your niece read Taylor’s post (linked in the blog) titled “Tips on Landing an Awesome Internship”
Such a valid point! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for commenting!
Great post thanks for sharing! I just hired an intern and it’s great on both ends.
Hi Maria! Thank you for visiting (and commenting)! Love to hear your intern is working out well. You’re giving him/her a great opportunity!