Are Internships Wasting our Time?
February 20, 2020
In the chaos of college adding one more commitment can be scary but may be one of the biggest benefits to your future career.
The college I went to required an internship to graduate. To parents wanting their kids to be as prepared as possible for post-grad job searching this sounds fantastic. Let me play the devils advocate for a minute though. With everyone having to take an internship class and then commit to one by a certain deadline there comes a pressure that causes many to panic. When you have to make a certain amount of hours at an internship you may feel forced into, this knowledge can weigh heavily during some of your final weeks at school. That being said, this is definitely not the case with all schools. Though having to get an internship was a benefit, settling for one that I am sure many did to graduate, is not. If your school does not require an internship I would suggest looking at your options and exploring how to best utilize an internship while in school. You can do a paid internship though many are not. You can do more than one, you may even be able to find one that is able to be partially done from home!
Another option that I wish I had learned about and looked into doing was an internship abroad. After studying in Florence, Italy and falling in love with the culture, architecture and the city as a whole I realized how beneficial interning and getting to know where I was living on an even deeper level could have been. Intercultural immersion holds many benefits and being able to have a closer connection to another culture is incredibly valuable!
Finding an internship can be incredibly overwhelming, especially when, like a job there is no guarantee that you will like it or who you will be working with. That being said, be picky. Advocate for yourself and remember that you get out of it what you put into it and do not be afraid to leave an internship that is not fulfilling you and helping you learn. An internship should be about gaining confidence and knowledge in your field of study that will help you succeed in your future career. It is your time to explore career possibilities, options and the career choices you are thinking of making in the near future.
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