In this fast-paced and demanding world of working, having mere paper qualifications do not confer you the exclusive rights to your first job. There is a need to do an internship.
Working experience in the form of internships can be valuable competitive advantage.
Have you ever wondered what are the key reasons of joining an internship program?
Why do universities encourage their students to do internships?
If you talk to some typical working adults around you, there is a significant likelihood that they will advise you to take an internship first before entering the world of work.
Wouldn’t it be easier to jump straight into the world of work? After all, an internship can be pretty similar to a job.
Why do small things first when you can do big things right away?
In this article, we will elucidate on some important points of having an internship.
According to a survey conducted by NACE’s Class of 2019 Student Survey, more people with internship experiences are more likely to get job offers.
In the survey, 57.5% of freshly graduated students with internship experience received at least one job offer.
Meanwhile, for those without work experience, only 43.7% managed to get a job offer.
Clearly, the likelihood of getting a job offer increases with an internship experience.
“The only source of knowledge is experience.
You need experience to gain wisdom.”
-Albert Einstein-
Having an internship experience provides a big boost to getting the job you want. We will explore what an internship is and what makes an internship important.
In this article:
What is an Intern?
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, an “Intern” is someone who has finished training for a skilled job by getting practical experience of the work involved.
Why is it called an intern?
This is because interns are considered as people who is still in the learning stage in the world of work.
That way, the intern does not yet have the same degree and also has not received the same level of salary or wages like an official employee.
This activity is generally carried out by students to meet their college’s obligations.
Most universities encourage its students to take part in internship with the aim of allowing the students to reap the benefits of getting real-life working experience.
Students also get the opportunity to practice working in a real world scenario.
This will be very beneficial for them to be able to transit from the world of education to the world of work.
In addition to students, internships are also recommended for those of you who are new to the world of work.
Then why should you do an internship?
Recruitment teams usually regard internships as an important asset for a candidate.
Generally, internship experience can determine your future career.
You will get many benefits from this activity.
The next question is ‘what is the importance of taking an internship? Why would an internship determine your future career?’
6 Reasons Why Internships are Important?
1. Provide experience and knowledge about real life
It is clear that the world of education and the world of work are two very different things.
In education, you will be trained to understand theories, books, hypotheses, etc.
While the world of work, you will be trained to use the theory in a practical sense.
Therefore, internships are very useful for those of you who are still studying or in an educational course.
By carrying out internship activities, you have the opportunity to utilise the theories and knowledge you have garnered in your school for the real world.
Especially in the face of various challenges.
Internship activities will be imagined as your training to be able to adapt to the world of work.
As a result of having an internship stint at a company, you will gain new experience and knowledge in overcoming these challenges.
So that when you are fully in the world of work, you will be ready and alert to carry out your work.
2. Opportunity to find identity
Internships are the perfect opportunity for you to find out what you want.
As already explained earlier, an internship aims to provide real-life work experience.
You will be introduced to the real obligations that you might be carrying out in the future.
And, during the course of your internship, you might just realise that this job is not in your interest, or passion.
In that case, when applying for your next internship or your first job, you have this information to avoid applying to job of such nature, which in this case, will improve on your overall fit to that job.
By doing an internship first, you will be shown a little what you will do in the workplace.
That way, you can see if what you are doing is something you really want to do.
One observation from monster.com states that by doing these internships, you will be helped to see what jobs you don’t want to do.
That way, you will also avoid doing work that is not in accordance with your identity.
In addition, this activity will shape your true identity.
With this work, you will be required to improve your competitive attitude.
This is due to a more competitive environment in the world of work.
To be able to keep the job you choose, you must continue to be at the peak of your performance.
In the end, this activity will also show your capabilities in the world of work.
Because the world of work is filled with challenges, you will learn all the advantages and disadvantages that you have.
That way, you will be able to make the most of your potential.
3. Hone skills
In addition to adding your experience related to your world of work, you can also use this activity to hone your skills.
Since the essence of an internship is where you practice, you will surely find various opportunities to practice your skills.
This is very important for your future
This is why internship experience is an important aspect of applying for a job.
Those of you who have more internship experience certainly know a lot of things related to the job.
You will also find out which skills are most useful to face the many challenges in the world of work.
With experience and honed skills, it will be easier for you to keep your job.
And this is also very important to build a good career path in the future.
4. Provide and develop professional network
People around you will say that doing an internship is very important.
Why?
In addition to providing work experience in the real world, you will also be well-placed to know new people.
Getting to increase your professional and social circles is important to help your career develop.
In addition, every new person that you meet has the great potential to become your co-worker or boss.
Plus, they can be a bridge to your dream job, or other opportunities in life.
Why is getting to know new people in the world of work so important?
The first reason is that new people will give you more opportunities in the world of work.
A wide professional network will help you develop your career.
New people you meet can help you by recommending relevant jobs to hire you.
With their help, it will be easier for you to get your dream job.
The teachers at your school have taught you various things about the world of work.
However, this is different if the lesson comes from a coworker or your boss.
The lessons learned from people in your workplace will provide specific knowledge about the ins and outs of the world of work.
That way, your career will develop rapidly.
Therefore, internships are very important to widen your social network.
5. Increase the value of your CV
CV is the most important thing in your journey to find a job.
That is why you should make your CV as attractive as possible.
This document is your main tool to get your dream job.
Although we cannot judge a book by its cover, unfortunately in the world of work, recruiters will judge you by what you have written on your CV.
The recruiting team will take a look at this document first before they decide to proceed with the hiring process.
So how do you get the recruiting team to be interested in your CV?
One of the things that attracts a recruiting team is your internship experience.
Job applicants who have a lot of work experience in the relevant field will more likely be hired.
Work experience means you have spent more time, utilised some amount of effort and participated in the world of work.
The experience and knowledge you have gathered during your internships are a great asset in the future.
With this experience and knowledge, you are less likely to make mistakes.
And of course, companies like great work without many mistakes.
In addition, internship experience can provide a better wage base. There is a wage signalling effect that internship has for your prospective jobs
This work experience will increase your value as an employee.
With all the work experience you mentioned in your CV, you will give the recruiting team the impetus to conduct interviews.
Finally, your chances of getting a job will be much greater.
If you ever need to have a good CV to impress your recruiter or your next employer, then head over to UrbanCV, the world’s most modern CV Builder.
6. Transition to full-time work
Generally, going directly into the world of work when you have just graduated from college is not very wise.
As an individual who has just finished his education, you are very vulnerable in the world of work.
This is because the world of education and the world of work are two very different things.
In the world of work, tolerance for making mistakes is minimal.
Your boss will be very critical of your work.
Meanwhile, graduates who have just left the world of education often do not have the experience to avoid this.
It is feared that making mistakes will make you vulnerable to being released from the company where you work.
This will be a bad record in your work history.
By taking an internship first, you will be prepared for a working life.
You will also learn how to face the challenges faced in the world of work.
In the end, you will be able to maintain the position and job you are in and this is the reason why it is so important to join an internship program.
Conclusion
The world of work is always filled with unexpected challenges.
You also need to be prepared for when the challenge comes. To be able to keep the job you love, you can overcome every challenge that comes your way.
One of the things you can do to prepare for this challenge is to take part in an internship.
By participating in this activity, you will be trained to be able to adapt in a world that you did not know before.
Doing an internship provides many benefits to your career path.
In addition to providing a lot of valuable experience, you can also hone skills that are useful in the world of work.
Well now you know what the importance of an internship program is.
Now the decision is yours, should I join the internship program?
If yes, do drop by to 9cv9 Career and Internship Platform.
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