The Importance of a College Internship
♫ Wednesday, November 12th, 2008A college internship often separates the good students from the great students who take initiative and are proactive in developing their skills for the work place. Many students believe that doing the bare minimum, meaning going to class, doing their homework, studying for tests and getting good grades, is good enough to impress potential employers. However, many students present recruiters or interviewers with similar resumes and they become bored with seeing the same type of applicant. Those who show something different on their resume are often times rewarded for their efforts. Extracurricular activities through the school or university often help students become more well-rounded young men or women, as it gives them the opportunity to develop their leadership skills or other aspects of their personalities. A college internship allows students to get a different view of the world that they may not have had before. A look at the real world before having to actually enter the real world for real will always help the process go much smoother. Having a college internship while going through college will allow the student to get a new perspective on the world and develop their image of the working world more. Especially with internships that allow their interns to take on some real responsibility, a student has the potential to place themselves light years ahead of their competition when interviewing for a new job. A college internship is always a good thing and will not push the student backwards in their development, only forward. This often shows itself in the interview with a recruiter or employer. The applicant with an internship under their belt will be able to speak about work and life to a greater extent and in greater depth and insight than the college graduate who got by with the bare minimum. Interviewers will be impressed with these students who took a proactive approach to their education and development and found themselves a college internship.
Some internships do not allow their interns much responsibility and have them do common office jobs that nobody ever wants to do. This does not create a well-rounded individual, as the intern will likely not be performing these tasks because the company will probably enlist the services of an intern to do these tasks. Look for an internship that allows the student greater responsibility so that they do not get stuck doing mundane tasks. This makes certain that the intern will not waste their time and will walk away from the internship a more well-rounded individual who is all the more ready to tackle the real world.


