The Importance of Internships

Clara Boles
January 31, 2022
Newsletter Article

Maybe you feel you got a little out of your internship? Turns out you are probably wrong. In this experience, you most likely learned how to conduct yourself in a professional setting and even how to treat people professionally.

Internships – we hear a lot about them. Everyone is asking if you have one or have had one….

What is the hype? Really, how important are they?

Having an internship before you begin your full-time career can be more beneficial than you ever thought possible, and here is why:

1.Work Experience

This might seem very obvious that you will get work experience from an internship, but this is the time in your life you take all of that knowledge from the classroom and actually put it to work. While some career paths are not as hands on as others, this is where some people really learn how to do their jobs. You can only learn so much about building a house in a classroom until you are there on the project and build the house!

These skills you learn in your internship are not only going to be skills you can hold on to forever, but they are great to list on your resume! Employers look more highly on skills you can apply and know how to use, than just the skills you are learning in the classroom.

2.Learn what you like AND what you DON’T like

You are going to school for something you think you love, but do you? Have you job shadowed or even interned in a position like this? An internship is the perfect way to try out a job before you make it your full-time career!

An internship is like turning a page and seeing if you really are interested in what you think you are interested in! You may find that your passion is what you are going to school for and that’s great, and you may find that after all, you really are not that passionate about what you think you are, and this a great time to figure it out.

You might even be able to tell what kind of company you prefer working for. Some people really thrive working for a large corporation, while others feel more comfortable at a smaller business.

3.Experience different company cultures

When you are in college or even in high school, you are kind of in your own little bubble, as with a part-time job. A full-time career most definitely exposes you to a whole new set of cultures.

Once you graduate and find a career, it is much more than just a job; it is a large life change, and a new set of culture comes with that! A job is the people you work with, the clients you work with and much more! Having this experience, as an intern, before jumping into a full-time career can set up for success and experience you to new cultures and ways of life.

4.Connections, Connections, Connections!

We always hear about relationships and networking, but really, how important are they? People are constantly moving around, getting new jobs, new titles, new positions, heck, even opening new businesses!

It is such a big deal to make connections professionally! These experiences really do help us out in life.

For example, maybe you intern with a company for the summer, you don’t end up getting a full time offer there, but you find you do business with them down the road, this could mean making a sale, getting a new client, or even just having a professional friendship.

5.Personal & Professional Growth

Becoming a working professional also gives you lifelong skills like: