Benefits of Summer Internships

Internships as part of the summer dream? It is for college students who want a great career after graduation. Sure, it might not sound as exciting as going on a road-trip with your friends or spending your days by the pool, but getting a summer internship could be one of the smartest moves a college student can make. Summer internships give you a great taste of what working in your field will be like.
They are a great time to see what your future could be like. Last summer I interned for an advertising agency in my hometown. Sure, there was a lot of paper filing and faxing forms to other agencies, (a.k.a. busy work), but I also learned a lot about my field and what a day in the workplace would really be like. Basically, I gained plenty of invaluable experiences that I would never have learned in a classroom.
Something students don’t always take into account is that some internships are paid. Everyone wants to make a few extra bucks during the summer. You could earn your spending money serving food in a restaurant or fishing golf balls out of the pond at your local golf course. Or you could be working towards your future and making money. Which option sounds better to you? To me, it would be working towards my future.
Also getting an internship could help you get a job after graduation. A lot of companies prefer to hire employees who have interned in their field. Employees with internship experience are usually favored over those without experience, and summertime is an easy way to get this experience when your schedule isn’t as cramped.
Last but not least, you will make valuable networking connections. It is often said that it is not what you know, but who you know. I would have to agree! I was hired for several of my most fulfilling jobs because of the connections I had. By having a summer internship, you will make connections with people at the company you work for, and could make connections with people in other companies. These people might write recommendation letters for you in the future or might even offer you a job.
Summertime is typically seen as a time to relax and recover from the stressful school year. But if you work it right, summertime could be a time to further your future career. And even if you do end up working a nine-to-five office job, you’ll still have weekends and evenings to play with your friends and enjoy your summer.