The Benefits of an Internship

When you’re in college, you’ve got a world of opportunities open to you beyond the house parties and one-on-ones with your professor. One of the best opportunities, available only to students, is interning at your dream company and adding some real world experience to your classroom knowledge. Here are some of the best reasons why you shouldn’t pass up your chance at an internship (or two, or three).

Academic credit.
An internship provides real-world experience, new friends and access to untapped resources, while knocking out credits at the same time!

Networking.
An internship will lead to relationships with your mentor, staff and fellow interns. For most careers, building a network of contacts such as these is the key to advancement.

Moritz College of Law student Erica credits her internship with helping her get into law school. “I interned with a Congressional grassroots campaign while in college,” says Erica. “I met some great people and we’re all still very close. They were helpful in providing recommendations.”

The perks.
An internship can offer a salary and other extras beyond academic credit. “[Whether or not we pay an intern] depends on what the internship is and whether or not they’re doing it for credit,” says James Currie, publisher of the print and online publication On Tap Magazine. “Generally they are paid something for it. We also provide a lot of perks—tickets to concert and events, dining certificates, etc.”

Gateway to a job.
An internship can often result in a full-time career within the company. Saul, a 24-year-old software marketing specialist, experienced this pay-off from interning. “When I got a full-time job, which was offered after two years of loyal interning, I already knew my role in the company and was able to start contributing right off the bat,” says Saul.