Completing a degree program can be a great way to gain essential skills and knowledge in your chosen field. However, having real-world experience gives you an opportunity to put classroom theories into practice while better preparing you for the job market.
Gaining relevant experience can be a challenge for students and recent graduates looking to enter competitive fields. For many, internship programs provide valuable hands-on experience while fostering professional confidence and increasing career readiness.
Why Are Internships Important?
These days, even entry-level roles require applicants to have at least some basic level of experience. This is why so many students and recent graduates secure internship opportunities to gain practical experience. Even in roles where previous experience isn’t required, having internship experience under your belt could give you a competitive edge over other applicants.
Aside from serving as a bridge between school and the job market, internships give students a unique opportunity to build their professional networks, pad their resumes, and sharpen their skills. And although you can learn a great deal from a traditional classroom experience, internships empower you to put abstract theories and concepts into practice, thus solidifying understanding and comprehension.
Types of Internships
There are many different types of internships, each offering unique benefits and opportunities. The most common types include:
- Paid internships – Interns receive a stipend or hourly rate for their work.
- Unpaid internships – Students don’t receive monetary compensation for their work, but they do gain valuable experience and knowledge in their chosen field.
- For-credit internships – Students aren’t paid for their time, but they may be able to translate their internship experience into college credit.
Internships can also vary in format. While many are offered on-site at a physical workplace, it may be possible to complete a virtual internship. In some cases, students might even have the opportunity to complete an internship internationally with a study-abroad connection.
Typically, internships are offered during the summer months, when students usually have a break from their classes. However, some part-time internships may be available during the school year.
Key Internship Benefits
So, what are the benefits of internships for college students? From gaining practical experience to improving career readiness, there are many reasons to consider pursuing an internship while you’re in school.
Gain Practical Experience
Completing an internship can be an excellent way to gain practical, real-world experience in your chosen career path. During an internship, you’ll have the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to real situations, which could help you better understand some of the more abstract concepts you’ve learned about in the classroom. This is especially true if you consider yourself a hands-on learner who comprehends things by doing them (rather than simply hearing about them in a classroom lecture).
Strengthen Skill Set
An internship offers a chance to strengthen your professional skill set in preparation for entering the job market. In addition to sharpening technical skills, an internship environment can help you enhance soft skills, such as:
- Interpersonal skills
- Communication (verbal and written)
- Problem-solving skills
- Critical-thinking skills
- Time management
Expand Your Network
Participating in an internship experience can help you build your professional network, which could come in handy when you’re seeking new work opportunities down the road. By connecting with fellow professionals in your field, you can gain new ideas and perspectives while also collecting references for future roles. You might even find your next mentor.
Increase Your Career Readiness
Internship programs can help you better prepare for the challenges and opportunities of your chosen career path. Being an intern gives you a unique learning opportunity to see what it’s really like to work in your field, which can help when entering the job market after graduation.
Explore Different Career Paths
Your internship experience doesn’t necessarily have to be directly related to your chosen field of study. For example, some students will use this opportunity to explore career paths in an adjacent field or “sample” different jobs and see what kind of work may be the right fit for them. Because internships are temporary programs, there’s no long-term commitment. With this in mind, you can explore different opportunities and get a better feel for what you might want to do in the long run.
Earn Academic Credit
Some internships allow you to gain college credit for your experience, which can be a great way to translate hands-on learning into credit hours that you can use to progress in your academic journey. Keep in mind that not all internships will offer this arrangement, so it’s important to consult with your academic advisor beforehand.
Foster Professional Confidence
While graduating from college can be an exciting experience, entering the job market for the first time may be a bit daunting. Having internship experience under your belt can boost your confidence as a new professional in your industry by providing you with helpful skills and connections.
Boost Your Resume
There’s no doubt that having internship experience looks good on a resume. This is especially true if you’re a recent college graduate exploring entry-level roles. With internship experience, you can give yourself a competitive edge over other applicants, increasing your chances of landing an interview.
Access Paid Opportunities
When many people think of internships, they tend to think of unpaid positions. However, the reality is that many internships these days offer some form of compensation, whether it’s direct hourly pay or a one-time stipend. Of course, this can vary greatly from one industry to the next, and some industries are more likely to offer paid internships than others.
Regardless, it’s important to understand the non-monetary internship benefits that you stand to gain, especially when it comes to building confidence in your field and sharpening your skill set.
Enjoy Career Service Support at Unity Environmental University
Whether you’ve recently graduated or are still in school, internship programs can provide you with incredibly valuable experience while preparing you for the realities and opportunities of your chosen field. The key, of course, is to find the internship program that best suits your needs and long-term professional goals.
At Unity Environmental University, we take a great deal of pride in the connections we’ve forged with potential employers over the years. Our career services center is available to help students and alumni alike explore and secure internship experiences across any number of industries. This is just one of the many ways in which we empower students to get the most out of their college experience, regardless of whether they’re completing their degrees online or in the classroom.
Learn more about what our career services center can do for you, explore program options, or simply get in touch to request more information about Unity Environmental University. If you aren’t yet enrolled, you can also get the ball rolling by applying today.
