By now you know that you can add luster to your CV if you do an internship but do you know that the benefits don't stop there? If you do an internship in a given company, you not only gain professional skills, but also gather insight into a particular industry or organizational culture, and establish connections that might lead to a job. Many of us see internships as a training and testing ground for potential new employees.
Internships are not all rosy. An attitude that you should have is that, not just any internship is worth taking up. Before diving into the first internship you're offered, make sure you have investigated all your options. Internships vary widely in the amount of pay or professional gain, the type of supervision and mentoring you receive, the length of time you are expected to work, and the amount of learning you will do.
So, what will you do today if you were offered an internship today? Here below, we want to share a few ways in which you can choose and critic an internship offer:
1. Paid vs. Unpaid: Consulting, investment banking, commercial banking, accounting, information technology, venture capital, entertainment, and marketing offer some of the highest paying internships.Marrier industries such as entertainment and book publishing tend not to pay much if at all because so many people are clamoring to get in the door. Still, almost all industries offer some paid internships to attract talented students at an early stage in their education. If you decide against-or can't get-a paid internship there are still opportunities to gain valuable work experience. Even if you are not paid for some internships, you'll get connections, training, and an understanding of the field that makes the lack of pay less significant.
2. Credit vs. Not-for-Credit: Some universities and colleges, hoping to steer students toward the real-world experience an internship provides, grant college credit for approved internships. Other cooperative education colleges and universities require students to do internships as part of their curriculum. Unfortunately, the majority of colleges do not award credit for internships.
3. Mentor-Led vs. Self-Directed: The difference here is initiative. If you think you work best when you structure, develop, and monitor your own work, then by all means do it on your own. However, if you know you want to create a certain product or learn a particular technique or technology, but don't have the foggiest idea of how to go about achieving it, then seek guidance from a mentor.
4. Term-Time vs. Holidays: Many internships are only available in the holidays because that is when you have your free time. Organizations want to ensure that they have enough work to keep students busy and don't want students to compromise the quality of their academics while interning. However, if you're interested in learning outside the classroom during the academic year and are confident your schoolwork won't suffer, then look for employers who hire interns all year round.
5. Part-Time vs. Full-Time: Two options exist for the student who wants long-term exposure to a particular company. Your first option is to take a year or semester off from school. These types of experiences can be immensely rewarding and can provide a break from the academic world. You'll also get a chance to refocus your career goals and align the rest of your education with those goals. The second option is a part-time internship that extends through the academic year and summer. Part-time may not provide as clear a picture of what the daily demands are in a given profession, but chances are you'll learn enough to assess whether or not you enjoy and feel challenged by a given job. Best of all, part-time internships don't require you to take a year off, so you can still graduate with your class.
I know that students find it very hard to get internships especially those that are paying. I will advise that if you have, a relative in the city or can find a way to be accommodated, then by all means look for an internship in a company that you feel fits with your future goals. When looking for an internship, never give money a thought. The discretion to pay money falls with your employer. Keep the impression early enough and I can promise you to land your dream employer.
All the best as you seek internship.
HCC
