College life is the building block for your well-deserved future. Your career more or less depends on your college days and the way you perform during those.
However, in today‡s world, only the theoretical knowledge and semester percentage do not count while giving an interview and pursuing the dream job, but the practical experience holds weight. This concept has introduced a wide area of scope in the name of Internships.
If you have relevant internship experience displayed on the resume, it will definitely add some weight to your profile. It gives you a competitive edge over other candidates applying for the position. Employers always prefer college students with some practical experience rather than just the freshers. This is because inexperienced students do lack the soft skills required for corporate living.
In this article, let us talk about why internships are important for college students?
Higher Chances of Finding the Relatable Job
An internship allows you to gain practical work experience in a working environment. This increases your chances of finding a more relatable job as per your dream career option. Internship helps students learn the core value of effective communication skills, efficient time management, and discipline. It also helps in learning other similar soft skills needed for a good professional environment.
The internship also helps in creating a network and contacts with people in the industry. This will most probably help in finding the job of your dreams, thanks to all the inside information you have from your contacts. Moreover, the recommendation letters will take you further with the career options you choose.
Experience of Working in a Real environment
Students who have internship experience have a great advantage when compared to the other who hasn‡t. Internship helps in understanding the implementation of the theoretical knowledge that you received during the college years in practical applications. It gives you the opportunity to test-run the knowledge and inherit the skills in the process.
In addition, you also get to learn more about the industry by being inside it, which is nearly impossible while staying on college campuses.
Students have experience of working in the real environment and have seen how to handle situations and apply classroom knowledge in practical. This gives you an added benefit over the other candidates who have only learned from the textbooks and libraries. And therefore, the experience is always preferred when it comes to hiring the right candidate who comes through the internship program.
Grades Cannot Measure Work Ethics
We have been trained from a very young age to deliver the best grades possible when it comes to education. We have got used to the fact of galloping the data and writing the same during exam papers without actually understanding the concept and its practical uses. This is why grades cannot certify of a student being best the field, especially when it comes to the real-world working environment.
Research conducted states that more than 43 percent of students receive A grade in the college courses. The higher number of grades over the years have raised a red flag in the working environment. The employers are more concerned about the working environment as students are only fed with notebook information. This is why employers trust students with internship experience more than the grades as they will be aware of the practical terms and working environment.
Show Work Dedication and Your Workaholic Side
When you go for an interview, and if the final round is among a candidate with good GPA grade and you with numerous internship experience, the chances are more than they will hire you. The experience and you go out of the way to learn more about the industry and work ethics shows your dedication to the work career.
Students usually have a passive attitude towards education and use the college years as fun going days. If you use these days for gaining experience, it shows the commitment and how serious you are. In addition, a letter of appreciation during the internship days or a letter of recommendation from the employer will help in getting better jobs in the future.
Learn Important Professional Skills
Internship helps you grow as a person in the working environment. The lifestyle and commitment of a college student and a full-time employee is very different. Internship helps in understanding these differences and help you learn the important professional skills that will help you grow as a person.
You will learn the most important skills of teamwork as that is very important in real life. You will have to work together in the future for great results in the project and completing it on time. It will also help in managing time better with deadline projects piling up every now and then.
Helps You Understand What You Like to Do
When you do an internship and learn more about the working environment and conditions, you will understand more clearly if you even want to do that job for the rest of your life. If you feel this field isn‡t for you, then you can opt a different branch of the same course for the next internship. This way you will be sure of your career path during your college days, and won‡t have to struggle like most after completing the graduation.
Some Tips for Internship Offers –
- Start searching for internships right from junior college. This will give you one or two summers of internship experience before you graduate.
- Most of the companies start looking for summer Interns in a year advance. So, start applying right now.
- Choose an internship that is related to your field.
- Do not let go of an amazing internship opportunity just because it is unpaid.
- Apply for all internship offers that will help you learn more about the field and build strong connections for better career options.
Conclusion –
Employers look for candidates that can easily transit from being a student to a full-time employee, and hence internship gives an extra advantage in such scenarios. Showing the employer that you already have been in a professional environment with proper certification and a letter of appreciation can help your case a lot.
