Guide to College Internships
If you're thinking about going back to school (or, you're enrolled already), you might be wondering what you'd have to do to get a college internship, or even if it's worth your time to try to get one. Well, we've got the skinny on college internships, and why you should try your darndest to land one as soon as you can.
First of all, there are two types of internships: paid and unpaid. Obviously, the paid internships are going to be more competitive (since everyone likes money and wants to be compensated for their time). But, keep in mind that unpaid internships, if you can afford them, will still give a lot back to you. It just won't be in cold, hard cash.
Ok, that being said, why should anyone try to get a college internship?
One of the main reasons is for the experience you'll gain. Imagine two students going to school for journalism. One of them had a summer internship at the Washington Post, doing editing work and writing articles. The other one spent their summer sleeping in and lounging by the pool. After they've gotten their degrees, which one will be more likely to land a job at a major newspaper?
Yep, you guessed it. The student that took the time to get that college internship at the Post will definitely shine brighter than the other student who goofed off.
Getting a college internship means that you gain some valuable experience in the industry that you're interested in joining. Upon graduation, potential employers will be much more impressed with your resume if you can tell them that you've already worked in the industry a bit.
Another reason why college internships are so valuable is because they're a great way for you to "try your degree on for size". In short, internships allow you to see if you're really going to enjoy the work you're studying to do.
Need another one? Ok. College internships allow you the opportunity to do some serious networking. This can translate into all kinds of benefits, but one of the biggest is landing the ideal job once you've graduated. The people you know and surround yourself with, your "network", in other words, can do more for your career prospects than any piece of paper.
For example, lots of people graduate each year with a computer programming associate degree, but if you have that in addition to a college internship under your belt your potential employer can call up your old boss and find out just how well you did last summer. And when your boss raves about your abilities, this gives you a major leg up on your competition.
So, are you convinced yet? You should be. Getting a college internship is well worth the time and effort you'll put in. Plus, you just might make some friends and contacts that you'll have for life.
