Most employers these days expect college graduates to have ‘real world’ experience in their chosen field. It isn’t enough to merely have a degree—you need to have hands on job training. Internships are one of the best ways for you to gain that type of experience.
Before looking for an internship, you need to consider what goals you would like to achieve through your internship. By determining these goals, you will be better able to select the internship that is right for you. Think about the following questions:
• What are your career interests? Choose an internship that helps you to refine your career goals. For example, if you have majored in marketing you may want to opt for an internship in advertising as well as an internship in public relations in order to help you decide which type of career path you want to follow.
• What do you want to gain from your internship? Perhaps your main goal is to decide upon a career path, as in the example above. Or maybe you would like to learn new skills or experience different types of work positions within your chosen field. You might be interested in networking and meeting people. Some people hope that their internships lead to full time positions within the company; is this one of your goals? Deciding upon your goals can help you to choose the best type of internship.
• What type of organization interests you? Are you hoping for an internship at a large, multi national company, or would you rather spend time at a not for profit organization? Perhaps you would rather work at a small, casual business rather than in the corporate climate. Think about the type of organization that you would prefer when choosing an internship.
• What type of industry would best suit your needs? Is there a specific industry in which you would like to intern? For example, you may want to intern in the advertising department of an organic company rather than for a chemical company. Or perhaps you would like to work in the corporate sales department of a department store rather than in pharmaceutical sales. Thinking about this question is important because you may know your field—such as marketing or sales—but deciding upon an industry is an entirely different decision.
• In what location would you like your internship? If your internship is during a regular college semester, you will certainly need the location to be close to the college campus. If the internship is at any other time, however, your options are open—you could choose to have an internship close to home, for example, or maybe even in another country.
• Are you considering paid and unpaid internships? Unfortunately, not every internship opportunity offers payment—in fact, many do not. If you can afford to go without payment, you will have more opportunities available, but the choice is yours.
• Is college credit for the internship important? While this can be helpful as far as your graduation goes, it can also be restrictive as far as the internship program guidelines go. Think carefully before making a decision about this.
Author Resource:
Kevin Mastill is an educator and career coach. He helps individuals determine their best plan for http://careerscatalyst.com/ internships and what paths guarantee a dream http://careerscatalyst.com/ graduate job, such as the best course of action for an http://ibgraduate.com/ investment banking graduate.
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