Interested in Internships?
Whether or not you are considering applying for internships, I urge you to do it. Times are quickly changing and having an internship under your belt is becoming a requirement.
Employers want to know that you are, in fact, employable, and have had experience in the working world among professionals.
I love talking about internships. When I was a freshman in college, I never put much thought into whether or not I would be applying for internships — especially because I thought I was going to be a professor. But after completing English 202 (the media & professional writing class I told you about last week), I started rethinking everything and realized that there are other professions I am also interested in. Since then, I have had three different internships, and I even got to return to one of them for a second summer (so I usually consider myself as having had 4 internships). Through each one, I have gained a unique perspective on being a professional, and I have gotten a clearer idea of what I want to do each time. While I understand not everyone’s schedule would allow for them to have more than one or two internships throughout their college career, I truly recommend rearranging things to allow yourself to gain as much experience as possible.
Why I strongly suggest you intern somewhere
- You’ll get to see firsthand what it means to be a professional in the field in which you are interested.
- You’ll meet people who can help you grow as an individual and up and coming professional.
- It will help you figure out what you want to do when you get out of college.
- Employers will be impressed by your experience
- It gives you something productive to do outside of going to class.
- It’s an opportunity to develop your skills and polish your professionalism.
- You will get practice in interviews (most internships have an interview).
How to find internships
- Ask your advisor to include you on your college listserv email list
- Read Massmails
- Attend job/internship fairs on campus
- Search online
- If you know of somewhere you are interested in interning, but they don’t have a program that you are aware of, look for a manager email contact and send them a well-written email.
Want to read more about what I think of internships? Check out my blog from last year.
Holly Brenza is a senior majoring in English and minoring in communications and management. In her spare time, Holly enjoys playing with her puppy, Bear, and watching the Blackhawks and White Sox, reading and trying out new recipes. After graduation, she hopes to work in public relations.
