Why YOU need an internship

BY COLLEEN RUPP

SC Staff Writer 

Internships — it is a word all students hear within the first semester here at ESU.

A lot of majors require an internship to graduate.

Normally for three or six credits students spend a semester working in a field that relates to their major, and a professor oversees their efforts.  This is a great option.

But what if your major does not require an internship?

Should you still get one for a semester or some amount of time?

The answer is yes, and I will tell you a few reasons why.

First, a lot of majors that do not require an internship still allow students to use an internship as optional credits towards graduation.

The process would be pretty much exactly the same, and students still get an experience that counts as credit to help them graduate.

Even if you do not receive credit for an internship there are still plenty of reasons to make sure you get the experience.

Second, an internship will tell you if you are in the right major.

If you think you know exactly what you want to do, and you do an internship with a company, you will know if the job is right for you.

If you absolutely hate the job, or just are not sure, you will know if you should change your major, or maybe even your goals.

Third, it’s all about who you know. The more people you know the better.

Even if your internship is not exactly what you want to do as a career, chances are your boss can help introduce you to the right people, or even help you get a job with them if they like your work ethic.

It never hurts to know some extra people, the more the better.

And never forget to make a good impression with everyone you meet, you never know who could be the next CEO of a fortune five hundred company.

Fourth, internships can lead to jobs.  A lot of companies hire their interns for full time jobs.  When you prove yourself as an intern, your boss will not forget you when the next position opens up.

Submitting a resume to a company and being able to say you interned there is a huge positive, and puts you ahead of other applicants, proving again it’s all about who you know.

Finally, it is a great resume builder and recommendation.

Even if the company you intern for decides not to hire you, or does not have any positions open, an internship gives you great experience to put on your resume.

If you apply to similar companies for similar positions, you already have valuable experience to show, and of course it doesn’t hurt to have a great recommendation from a previous boss whom you interned with.

These are only five of the numerous great reasons that internships are valuable.

All of your professors and advisors will encourage you to get an internship, and they aren’t wrong.  Students should really have at least one internship by the time they graduate, but the more the merrier.

Even if you do some work for a local company over winter break, anything is better than nothing.

You never know the great experiences you can gain, and people you can meet at an internship.

Email Colleen at:

cer1810@live.esu.edu