Why you should apply for an internship while studying in college?

Just a minority of students apply to internships while they are still studying in college. Part of the reason is that they don’t know about existing internship opportunities or they are not prepared to set their foot in the professional world. As a student, it is difficult and challenging to answer the question, “What will you do after college?”.

There is no right answer and no assurance. However, you can start realizing your future career by applying to internships. Internships are training opportunities for students to take on temporary job roles in businesses and organizations. Most of these internships are not paid, but this should not discourage you.

Right after college, many companies look at your internship experience so that they will find you credible and competent for the job you are applying for. In addition, internships help in your own professional development and expand your network.

In this article, we featured the key benefits and advantages of applying for internships while still studying in college.

Hands-on education.

There are different types of internships available. Some are related to your course and can have academic credit with a faculty supervisor. This is called cooperative education, which aims to give you a perspective about the real-world job outside the classroom setting by being mentored in a specialized field of interest related to your course.

Another type is service or community-based learning, where the place of work is in a nonprofit sector or human services. Students here engage with a community and draw reflection from their experience with societal issues from there.

Whatever type of internship you apply for, always involves a firsthand experience with the career world. This is different from what you learn and achieve in classrooms because internships are hands-on training you get from a mentor or supervisor. You will directly be immersed in the field of work and pick up knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values as you progress.

Professional development.

Internships are also means for you to start building your network and resume. You will encounter all kinds of people in the office or community during your time as a student intern. Through this interaction, you have the advantage of talking to them and giving them a lasting impression to remember you.

This way, you can have potential contacts to call once you graduate and are looking for a job. Your ability to continue communicating with them even after the end of our internship will be critical for your long-term goals.

While you are also keeping in touch with the workers, it is equally important to understand the norms and values of a professional. Whatever you learned in theory, you see it being practiced in the field. You will notice how workers solve problems and work together to aim for a certain milestone. Here, you are challenged to think critically and view issues from different perspectives.

Personal development.

Along with developing your understanding of a profession, you will also get to develop yourself. College students are often in their age of getting to know more about their abilities and emotions. Internships are opportunities for intellectual and emotional development that is not just relevant to your career, but also to your life.

Your experiential knowledge as an intern can give you something to ponder about yourself and others. Qualities like respect, accountability, flexibility, and open-mindedness are taken seriously in work, which you can embody and teach to your social circle. Additionally, there will be times where you will be asked to fulfill tasks on your own and this is where you can test out your creative abilities. Little will you realize that you have a passion for something you never explored.

Civic engagement.

Becoming an intern is not only about resume building and personal growth. It is also about reflecting on socio-political issues in your surroundings. Civic engagement means students become more responsible and contributing members of their community.

You must realize as a student intern that all professions, from which they function, are connected to a bigger social purpose. Businesses have started to shift to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in their models that highlight more on what they can contribute to society rather than how to maximize profits.

For instance, companies are already starting to use recycled components in their phones and laptops for environmental sustainability. Internships, then, are opportunities for you to learn about the ethical and social obligations of a profession, and how they fit the bigger picture of public and civic relevance.

From these benefits, we can conclude that an internship is an experience like no other. Although most internships are unpaid, the process and learning of going through them are what matters. We hope you have come to appreciate the significance of personal, professional, and civic development that, overall, gives you a clear sense of your place in the career world.

We, at whilestudy.com, help students with access to information and resources on how to achieve other things while studying.