Graduating from college is a great accomplishment. After working so hard for your degree, a lot of graduates are eager to start working in their field. However, it’s not that easy. Nowadays, recent graduates have a hard time finding employment after graduation because they have zero to little experience. Internships provide you with experience that you can put down to build your resume. Also, it’s a great way to network for future opportunities.
It’s Hard to Get a Job
After high school, everyone tells us that it’s important to continue going to school. When we were younger, adults would tell us that in the “real world”, it’s hard to find a job. They were right. But, no one tells us how important it is to build your resume while you’re in school. Jobs expect applicants to have about 5 years of experience in their field AND a degree. Luckily, getting an internship could help fill these needed years of experience while working on an internship.
It can be disappointing being denied by jobs after graduating. It can be discouraging applying to jobs and being denied due to a lack of work-related experience. Fortunately, internship opportunities are a great way to receive experience while in school. It’s a great way to get into an entry-level job position and continue to grow along the way.
Before, people used to think that getting a bachelor’s degree will make you more competitive in the workforce. Think about it, if you were an employer who would you hire: the student with experience or the student without?
In today’s hazy job market, undergraduates with degrees alike are competing for the same job. Some things for students to take into consideration are: how will I stand out from my peers? What makes me unique? Do I offer something no one else can? What is my personal brand? Consider getting an internship early on and explore the multiply internships that are available to you. It’s best for high school and college students to start early and get ahead to start building their resume.
Bachelor Degrees Aren’t Cutting It Anymore
The United States Census Bureau states about 13.1% of people in the United States have advanced degrees. Having an advanced degree makes an applicant more valuable compared to someone without it when applying for the same jobs. Also, the average person with an advanced degree earns about 3.7 times more than a high school dropout.
Starting an internship will increase your skills and boost your credibility when applying to jobs after getting your degree. Jobs require that you have work-related experience in order to be considered for a job position that pays more. Internships are willing to give innovative and ambitious students the opportunity to expand their skills and knowledge in the workplace.
More and more people are going to graduate school. However, as people continue to go to grad school, more internship opportunities have been created as well. Students are able to gain experience and get firsthand experience in their industry.
Jobs Want to Get to Know You First
An internship is like a trial and error stage for both businesses and students. Internships allow businesses to evaluate the intern’s skills and knowledge in a professional setting. It also gives firms the opportunity to decide whether they would like to offer a full-time position to the intern. Interning is a great learning experience for students. They are able to learn about the industry and field. Also, it gives them the opportunity to see if they would like this position long-term. In addition to gaining experience, it is a way to increase your networking palette for future references.
Completing an internship can allow a potential employer to see your skills, knowledge, and potential. It’s a chance to stand out because sometimes businesses will offer a job opportunity to interns if there is a position available. Internships are a perfect way to expand your networking contacts for future references. The saying “It’s not about what you know, but who you know” is more applicable now more than ever. The more internship experiences you have under your belt, the better. It gives jobs more reason to select you in their candidate pool of potential employees.
Benefits of an Internship
Having an internship can take a person from where they are to where they want to be. Companies are hesitant to hire permanent employees right away. Rather, they offer internship positions to test them before hiring them. Internships will challenge your abilities and test you to see your skills, knowledge, and abilities.
Internships are no longer optional when hoping to obtain a full-time position in the future. 70% of college students participate in internships prior to graduating. So, on average, an undergraduate student should complete at least 2-3 internships to stay competitive in the job market. You typically learn things that you don’t learn in school at internships, which is important to businesses.
Finding an Internship
Lauren Berger is an internship expert, CEO of Intern Queen, Inc., and alumni from the University of South Florida. When she graduated, Lauren had 15 internships under her belt. So, she felt like she was an expert in finding and getting internships at that point. She felt like she was an expert in finding and getting them at that point. Her internship experiences added to her resume and allowed her to score her first job at Creative Arts Agency.
Berger is also an author of the book All Work, No Pay. She gives information to students on how to find internships. Her book also encourages students to make the most of their internship experiences as much as possible.
Like InternQueen.com, check out these two helpful sites that link students to internships:
- Intern Sushi: a new website that skips the resume and helps students find and apply for internships in hardest-to-break-into industries
- Intern Match: the largest database of college internships online
Unpaid internships can be one of the best experiences of your career and is an opportunity to gain a new skill set and expand your network. Don’t forget, go after the internships you want – not just the internships that are available.
Apply Now
Business Expo Center is currently offering internships in their Marketing, HR, and Event planning departments. Interested in one of our internship opportunities? Fill out this quick internship form and submit your resume and cover letter to us today.
