In todays economy no one wants to work for free, including college students. According to Forbes, 51% of college students only want an internship if its paid and it leads directly to a job offer. The truth is…doing an internship or several internships is most valuable to your education.
An internship gives you the ability to try out your potential career to see if this is really what you want to do for the rest of your life. 67% of college graduates work in a field unrelated to their degree. 37% of these graduates were bored of their old career. It simply didn’t suit them. Had they completed an internship before graduation this problem would not have occurred.
During an internship you get the chance to meet higher ups in the company. Network. Make contacts. Those same businessmen can be used as a reference when it comes time for you to do your resume.
The biggest bonus to internships is that you get the experience. You gain soft skills and experience during an internship. When you have more skills and experience you have the opportunity for a higher pay grade.
So, an internship could give you invaluable insight in to your future. Not only does an internship give you the chance to try out your new career, you get the opportunity to make more money, network and gain more experience for use after college. Test -drive your new career by getting your internship.