Internships are a great way to kick start your career, if you are a fresh graduate an internship can be a very rewarding experience for you and your employer, not to mention open the way for countless opportunities.
1. Gain experience
Internships give graduates the opportunity to gain hands on experience in their relevant industry, you should aim to look for a role that aligns with your degree qualification that way you can get direct traning and experience from the manager or team members by watching closely how they manage projects and meet deadlines.
2. Increase industry knowledge and skills
You can learn a variety of skills while interning these include; communication skills, interpersonal skills, decision making and many more, mastering these skills can really make you stand out as a star intern, not to mention preparing you for your future career. Also as an intern you can gain a huge amount of knowledge about the industry you choose to start your professional career in, take this opportunity to find out how everything operates and don’t be afraid to ask questions!
3. Get a feel for the corporate world
Internships usually last 3 - 6 months, use this time to test out your industry of interest and find out if its right for you, this will help you overall choosing the right career path. The corporate world of work is much different to university, entering the work force and having a fixed 9 to 5 will help you become more disciplined and understand the value of time.
4. Hard work
Internships aren't an easy ride and most internship are unpaid, however the experience and skills which are gained can never be replaced! Internships are the best way to show off your work ethic and ambition to your current and future employer(s).
5. Great for CV
Having an internship on your CV will definitely make you a stand out candidate at your next interview; it shows that you have dedicated your time to learning your industry and making sure you are well prepared for your career by getting first hand experience. You will find that graduates with internships as a form work history on their CV are more likely to gain employment.
6. Full time employment
If your employer is really impressed with your performance your role could possibly turn into a full time job! Make sure you finish your internship having done your best as employers can later contact you to join the team if future vacancies arise.
7. Personal growth and development
Internships will help you build confidence, develop a positive can do attitude and interact with your work colleagues, as an intern you may even get the opportunity to pitch an idea so always be attentive and on the ball.
Interested in being an intern? Register for our 2016 internship programme.
Complied By
Ms Vanessa Atim
Founder Pro Interns
