When you are at the beginning of your career or still a student, the lack of experience seems to be an important issue when you apply for a job. What do you think about internships? Are they optional or something that every student should take into consideration?
At Innobyte, we believe that internships are bridges that connect students with no working experience, but with a theoretical background, with the real working environment. Here are our top reasons why taking an internship should be a priority to you while you are a student or when starting your career:
1. Learn and gain experience under the guidance of professionals
The reality of today shows that taking university courses is not enough to be prepared for a full-time job. Yes, you will learn a lot at school, but nothing will better introduce you to the real working environment as an internship. Internships are the best way to learn from professionals. As an intern, you will be evaluated for your knowledge and your eagerness to learn, not for your working experience.
During your internship, you will experience the same workflow as an employee but without having the same responsibility. You will learn how to apply all the information acquired during the university years and you’ll gain new skills while simulating a real project. Depending on the employer, you may have to solve some tasks on your own, under the guidance of mentors.
2. Learn how to work in a team and gain new skills
As an intern, you will interact with the team members and learn how to work as part of a team. You will participate in meetings and get familiar with the company’s procedures. You’ll see how team members collaborate to complete a task, learn how professionals respond to challenges or situations and how to solve them.
You will also learn how to take responsibility for your tasks, how to listen and develop new ideas within brainstorming meetings, how to prioritize your tasks and how to work efficiently.
3. Discover what you want to do
When you are a student, you know there’s a dream job out there waiting for you. Still, you have no idea what you should expect from it or if a certain position will suit you.
By taking an internship, you will be able to see how a career in the field you are interested in will look like. This way, you will have the chance to decide whether you want to pursue in that area or continue exploring.
4. Enhance your CV with the internship experience
Having no work experience is often a minus when you apply for a job, even for entry-level positions. Companies appreciate students who use any occasion to enrich their knowledge and experience, such as personal projects, volunteering projects, online courses or internship programmes.
Internships count as professional experience. You’ll have the opportunity to highlight everything you’ve learned during the internship. You can add detailed information about the tasks you were assigned to, the new professional skills and capabilities you’ve gained. Some of these abilities might be problem-solving skills, conflict resolution, teamwork, and every example that can prove that you have performed well during the internship and you are suited for a full-time position within a company.
5. Secure your place for a full-time job
Most companies organize internship programmes to prepare young professionals, with no work experience, for their available positions. If you’re not ready to commit to the company where you had your internship, you can ask the people you worked with for recommendations that can help you in your future interviews.
Besides internships, you can increase your chances to get a job and to make your resume more appealing. Join free online courses to learn more about the subjects you’re interested in. Visit job fairs, go to conferences, meet-ups, workshops. You can also join online groups where you can interact with professionals.
Remember that the expert in anything was once a beginner. Enjoy every step and, most of all, don’t forget to get the most out of the journey!
PS: If you’re looking for a career in web development and you are passionate about eCommerce and programming, write to us and let’s start this journey together! Read more about our internship: https://internship.innobyte.com/.
