Internships let you experience a career path.

Most students enter college with an idea of what career they want to pursue. Others enter college with little to no idea. It is also not uncommon for students to switch their majors once or twice. An internship provides you with first-hand insight of what your desired career will be like.

Your experience may solidify your desire to continue this path; it may also be a wake up call and make you realize that maybe this career isn’t right for you. After all, there is nothing worse than spending thousands of dollars developing skills for a career that you will end up hating.

Internships can boost your resume.

The competition for jobs has grown. Even for an entry-level job, employers may ask for a minimum of 2-years experience. This provides a challenge for job seekers: How can you have years of experience if you’re fresh out of college and have never worked in the industry? You can use internships of course!

If you’ve had several internships, this could set you apart from other applicants. Employers want someone who knows what they are doing and is competent in the field. When you apply for a position, your employer can get a quick insight about your skills by reading your resume or looking through your portfolio, which will be a strong indicator of how you can benefit their brand.

So if you’re worried about experience, try to obtain as many internships as possible.

Internships will give you real-world experience.

Internships are a great way to refine your skills and learn new ones. It can also make you confident in your abilities. It is easy to learn and memorize concepts in a lecture, but internships are a great way to apply these concepts in a real setting. After all, you are being mentored by experts in the industry. They can teach you new tips and skills that you may never have learned in a classroom setting.

It will also help you build motivation and great work habits, especially if you are completing work that has a deadline.

The application process is beneficial.

Believe it or not, the process of applying for internships will give the student a taste of what it is like to search for a job. College students are not simply handed a position. Like job seekers, they need to write a cover letter, resume,complete an application and interview for the position.

They many not always land the position, but they can use it as a great learning experience and apply what they learned to future interviews.

Internships may lead to employment.

Many employers see their internship programs as the best path for hiring entry-level candidates. If you work hard and do well, your boss may want to keep you and offer a position.

Employment isn’t always a guarantee; there may not be any available positions at the time. But you never know! Maybe down the road a position may open up. Your boss may remember all the great work you did for them and would rather hire someone who has worked for him that he trusts. Or perhaps they will refer you to another colleague that is hiring. Never underestimate the power of networking.

Even if you aren’t offered a job upon completing your internship you’ll still receive great experience that you can use in the future; and you’ll also receive a glowing letter of recommendation.