Internships

Today's employers are looking for the best of the best. They want you to have a brilliant resume and, in addition, previous work experience. But where do you get the experience if no one will hire you because they are looking for someone with experience? The answer is, internships. What is an internship anyway? An internship is any period of time during which a beginner acquires experience in an occupation . By doing an internship you will enjoy the professional benefits it has to offer.

Why do we need them? Well some people may think it’s time wasted but from my experience, there is no better way of tracing your career path than starting an internship.

• By starting early on to sharpen your professional skills, you will gain pragmatical experience and learn how to do your job well, rather than the theories we get from universities… University learning can only take you so far. But only your willingness to learn new things and your passion can make this journey less of a hustle.
• You get a chance to work in one of the companies in your field. Spending a few months getting to know a company, and be familiar with the working routine of the company. The work expectations will put you in a good position if you ever want to start working for the same firm, or a similar one, in the future. If they liked your work, they’ll be more likely to hire you than someone that they haven’t worked with before.
• You’ve got to show your potentials. Though academic records may say a lot about your capabilities, employers prefer to choose candidates that have some experience that is relevant to the position they are hiring for. An internship gives you the opportunity to take on tasks that will be expected from you at your future job and help you have vast knowledge about different things through learning and the freedom of thinking out of the box and give broad ideas as well.
• You may be recruited to work full-time. An internship is the chance to prove yourself as a hard-working, intelligent and capable person. If there is an entry-level position available, as an intern you are definitely in a competitive position to be considered for the spot. In fact, the firm will be more comfortable hiring someone who is familiar with how the company is run, like an intern.
• You’ll grow your network of professionals. A major advantage of an internship is that you’re able to network and strengthen relationships with working professionals in your field. Keeping those professional connections alive can be useful for anything, from career advice to a job recommendation. Moreover, having a circle of friends within your career field is a good support group for you when you’re down.
• Your confidence in professional environments will improve. Although it takes time to learn all the company norms that your firm follows. Once you learn how to conform with them, you’ll learn how to relax more at an office and focus more on excelling at the work itself.

Internship is a great way to test a job and a career path. When you commit to work for a certain amount of time as an intern, you know all the nuts and bolts of your career of choice. So once you are offered a permanent position, you will know what it takes to succeed at your new position. Happy Hunt.

Lancelot Sheja in charge of communication at Awesomity Lab.