Internships: The Key to Success After College
May 1, 2008 – 9:28 am by Kim
No matter what your master plan for life is, if you are currently in college, your next move will inevitably involve searching for a job. This can be a confusing and stressful time for many graduates, as they struggle to determine what field of work they are interested in. Sure, you may have obtained a degree in finance, but perhaps your passion is in social services and you are also interested in real estate. So how do you decide?
Often, one of the first questions you will get asked in an interview is to describe previous work experience and how it has prepared you for the “real world”. If you are like me, the last job you had while in college may have been working as a barista at a local coffee shop or working at the university tutoring center. Applying that to the field of finance may not work too well.
So what to do? One word: internship. Obtaining an internship while in school or immediately following school is the best way to get your foot in the door. Internships are great for businesses, often providing them with free personnel, colleges will usually offer course credits for them and employers like to see that you have some professional work experience on your resume. Additionally, it can open your eyes to the line of work that you are most interested in. It’s a win-win situation for all.
Landing an internship is simple, just talk with one of your college professors, an advisor or visit the career center at your school. Be sure to plan ahead, as summer internships tend to fill up pretty fast and if you can, try to get college credits for internships if you have not yet graduated. There are many online resources as well and some even offer a small stipend or salary.
