If you are in a dilemma whether to work as an intern or not, do the former. Internships can be time-consuming and sometimes it’s not an easy thing to do. It is usual to hear cases of students working more than the required number of hours or doing workloads not related to the job they’ve applied. Nevertheless, it is still a blessing to any undergraduate and potential jobseeker for the following reasons:
• It gives you the necessary experience you need.
Most employers give more weight to experience than educational background (except on managerial or supervisory levels where both experience and educational attainment matter). When an applicant has an experience related to the position he or she wants, the company does not have to spend a lot of money for training. It also means that the potential employee will not have a hard time adjusting to his or her role in the organization. Experience is considered as an asset.
If you are asked to do some more jobs than what you are required during your internship, think a hundred times before you complain. You can actually include these details in your resume just to let the employer know you can do more and are willing to go the extra mile.
• It can boost your resume.
We have already said it. Employers look for those who have experience. An internship will give you such a huge edge over those who have not. In a time where there are millions of students who graduate each year, you definitely need to have that higher level of competitiveness.
• You may just land a job.
It is common for employers to hire interns as regular employees. They have seen how these people work, and they can gauge if they deserve to be part of the company or not without really spending money for the recruitment process. Another advantage of employing an intern is that he or she does not need to be trained or oriented anymore. The intern is already familiar with his or her job.
• You can get a salary.
In a study conducted by Career Service Office for the year 2008 to 2009, around 61 percent of interns received salaries from their employers. Although not that much, intern compensations can already pay for your water bills, transportation, and food.
What to Do with Your Internships?
1. Get a certification from your department and / or from the employer.
It is easy to make a claim about your internship. Your future employers will demand a proof from you. A resume can be more credible if it has several internship certifications with it.
2. Be very specific of your job.
When you are creating your resume, list down all the essential and huge internship tasks you’ve tackled before. If you can provide figures (such as helped increase sales to 10 percent), then include it to your portfolio.
3. Include the employer in your List of References.
This way, it is easy for the HR officer or the employer to check your claims.
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Although the concept of internship is a good one it can, and often does, backfire. It’s not unusual for a company to advertise for an unpaid intern for say 6 months with the promise of a job at the end of it. At the end of the 6 months the intern is told there is no job. The company then finds another unpaid intern for 6 months, i.e. some companies use “internship” as a way to gain free labour.
Internships are priceless to the student! Generally, interns are paid, but even if they aren’t…what a learning experience.
I corralled a student to be an intern at one of my clients, it was the BEST decision for her. She started out as an intern recruiter, and within two years was running the HR department. I realize not every intern will have such outrageous success, but I don’t believe they will lose anything either.
Life (to our limited knowledge) is short and you go around once. Take the chance, grab the ring and go for the internship!!