Internships give you an opportunity to try-before-you-buy or test drive careers you are interested in. They give you a chance to learn if you really do like the work and/or the company and they look great on a resume, giving you a competitive edge over students who don’t have work experience.
Companies who are hiring are looking for demonstrated hard work, communication skills and a strong work ethic – internships and work experience provide a way for you to show that you have these skills. Here is what a recent College to Careers article said about the value of internships:
Internships offer the incredible opportunity to uncover new and beneficial abilities you never knew you had. You may find your strong points are in a different field of study, a different faction of your work or a specialized skill. Uncovering these abilities make for a much more enjoyable career and can only serve to better your future endeavors by avoiding career changes.
That’s why the earlier you can do an internship, the better!
Begin looking for internships in high school and continue in college to get great experience and to ‘test drive’ different types of jobs.