The Strongest Benefits of Internship as a Student

When I first joined my degree, I was continuously hearing the same thing, and that is, I should get an internship. It will change everything.” I did not actually understand the reason behind the big deal at the time. However, having passed through my internship, I now realize the benefit of the internship to students, it is not all about filling your resume, but it is more about building your future.

You are reading this so you must be asking yourself the question: What is the benefit of internship on a student? But more to the point, how do I utilize an internship in order to grow?

I will tell my story, pepper it with the things that I learned and wish I would have known before and deconstruct the actual reasons why internships are worth your time. Let’s dive in.

1. The First and Biggest Benefits of Internship for Students: Real-World Experience

Classrooms give you theory. Internships provide you with narratives.

My first day as an intern involved a live project which I was requested to work on. My hands were quite literally trembling, since there was nothing in my textbooks that could have prepared me to that moment. And still, in a week, I gained greater knowledge about the problem-solving, teamwork, and deadlines than I had learned in a couple of months during lectures.

This is the first benefit of internship as a student: it is an opportunity to enter the world, to put your abilities into the test and understand what working in the field of your choice really means.

2. Networking: establishing Relationships that work

This is one of the secrets I would have learned earlier, internships are not only about the work. They are concerning the people you meet.

One of the mentors I encountered in my internship period continues to do so today. The association by itself has provided access to freelance work and career guidance that I would not have been able to access otherwise.

When you question yourself with how to make use of an internship, you should begin by speaking to people. Question, take feedback and learn with all the people around. Such relationships may persist even beyond the internship.

3. Awareness: How to decide what you really want 

There are times that the benefit of studying via internship among students is finding what you do not like.

I have one friend who had an internship with a finance company. She believed that it was her ideal career, and at the end of three months, she realized that it was not her profession. That’s still a win. Why? She was spared the years of heading in the wrong direction.

Internships also provide you with a comfortable environment to explore various roles, industries and working cultures before you make a long term investment.

4. Skill Improvement: A Student to Professional

The following is a humorous incident: When I was on my internship, I wrote an email and used the word Heyyyy (with three y’s). My boss explained to me soft-heartedly what it meant to write to a friend and what it meant to write professionally. That lesson stuck.

This is the other merit of internship to students, you not only polish your soft skills, which may be in communication or teamwork, but also your technical skills in your field. At the end of it, you are no longer a student; you are somebody who is in the workforce.

5. Confidence Boost 

And I will not lie: the week of my internship was very overwhelming at the beginning. I gradually began to believe in myself as I completed tasks, gave thoughts, and was even complimented about my work.

That is the underestimated benefit of internship among the students. Confidence. The fact that you can really do the job you have been studying. It is sort of training wheels before you jump into the giant bicycle of full-time employment.

6. Resume Power: How to be noticed in a crowd   

The truth of the matter is, in this day and age, grades are not sufficient in the job market. Employers would like to be assured that you have done more than just attend lectures.

After knowing how to make the best out of an internship, you get stories, accomplishments, and skills that you can boast about when writing your resume. It would sound much better to say that I worked on social media as a manager of a brand and increased the number of followers by 20 percent, than to state that I have been taking a course in marketing.

7. There are cases when Internships Become Jobs

This is the part that no one tells you; internships are a trial run to many companies to hire.

I have a batchmate who had done a fantastic job during his internship that the company had given him full-time position before he completed his graduation. And that is the final benefit of internship among students, making temporary a permanent opportunity.

To get the answer to the question of how to leverage an internship in such a manner, the answer is quite simple: you have to think of it like it were a real job. Be initiative, be proactive and always do your best.

How to Benefit on an Internship

Ok, I understand, internships are important. The magic comes when however, you learn to use an internship to your advantage. Here’s what helped me:

• Ask questions. It is not a reason to keep silence because you are an intern. Curiosity shows you care.
• Answer yes to opportunities, and even when they are scary. It is there that the growth occurs.
• Note down what you are learning on a daily basis. It assists you to think and recall.
• Network smartly. Network with your colleagues through LinkedIn.
• Treat it seriously. Be at work on time, on schedule and dependable.

Final Thoughts: Why Every Student Should Grab This Chance

In retrospect, I can affirm that internship is not only beneficial to students in terms of experience but also change. You come in as a student and come out as a student with direction, skill and vision of your future.

So when you are on the fence, do not wait. Find one. Try it. It is worth it when it is no pay, it is worth it when it is a temporary measure. And even while you are an intern, you should ask yourself: am I am actually making the most of my internship?

Since this is the reality of it: an internship is a gym membership. Its possession does not make you fit you must appear and work.