Internship Group Project

Internships are a very important part of both your education and your career. They give you a great opportunity to explore career choices. For those that want to go to graduate school most will find it much easier to get accepted into a program with an internship referral. There are many employers in the field that ask for experience. Internships also give you chance to network within your field and gain referrals for your resume down the road. These opportunities also help to enhance your schooling experience and connect the academic with the real world. Most medical programs require clinical time as part of the program for this very reason. They want you to have hands on experience when you graduate. Interning can help you to secure a position with the company as well. Many companies will hire the interns they have seen success from over another applicant that they don’t know or haven’t seen their work ethic.
Career exploration: Most college students change their major 3-4 times throughout their schooling. Internships give students the opportunities to explore the field and learn more of what is involved than just the textbook information. The intern may find something they really love or really can’t handle therefore solidifying their choice of career.
Graduate/Continuing Education: Employers like it when an employee has hands-on experience, but how do you gain that experience? It may be difficult to compete for a job without experience in the field. Internships give you a great opportunity to gain experience and to demonstrate your skills and knowledge in the field. Employers want to know what you can do for them and the company, but they are equally if not more interested in what you have already done. This gives you the chance to show off your abilities and get great referrals for the future.
Networking: This is a great way to get inside information in the field. If you develop contacts in your career field you will have more opportunities to be ahead or your competition. These contacts can create life-long relationships to help you out throughout your career.
Hands-on experience: By getting into an internship you will be able to apply the knowledge you have acquired in the classroom and also take the experiences in the “real world” back to the classroom. It will open up new discussions in class and reflect a kind of knowledge that can’t be acquired in the classroom. You will also develop a greater appreciation for your education and the accomplishments you make in your academics.
Foot in the door: Internships give you the opportunity to be considered for a position before a candidate not well known by the company. You are able to prove yourself and your work ethics. According to a Career Center’s Career Destination Survey, 25.3% of 2006 Cal Grads reported that they got their current job because they had previously worked for their employer, very likely through an internship. If you succeed and excel, you will have a competitive edge over other applicants.
There are several great reasons to intern during your career exploration or schooling. It can help you to determine if the field you have chosen is right for you and go as far as helping you to receive a permanent job with a company after you complete your schooling. There are many resources available and most anyone would benefit from taking advantage of those resources.

Group 2: Heather Moody