Just like scholarships and a college degree, applying for internships are as vital and crucial to your post-graduation success than a 4.0. It's the cherry on top of a sundae. It's the extra candy that rattles out of the vending machine. It's the... well, you got it.
This post was split into two parts: In Part II, you'll receive 10 Steps to Getting an Internship and a sample Summer Internship timeline. In this half, we'll explore the benefit of internships and dismiss the fear that the old and experienced or the young and inexperience are somehow disadvantaged in applying for internships. We have a lot to cover, so...
The Benefits
After spending my summers at paid (and unpaid) internships, I was shocked to hear my fellow graduate classmates admit they'd never interned while in undergrad. Four years of college. Each summer lying on the couch doing nothing toward their degree. Quite simply I was dumbfounded and my ego shot up couple notches, because I realized the edge I had on my classmates. Always the competitor, I calculated how my job history would award me coveted writing assignments, jobs and other internships over my classmates. While these 20-somethings feared the newsroom, I'd raked up broadcast and print mentions on my resume. Whether or not you get the internship, you'll eliminate nervousness and sharpen your interview skills long before your job search if you start early.
Other interns will also attest that working in their major improved their understanding and classroom participation.
Lastly, and probably the most valuable benefit from interning, is networking. There's really no value you can place on networking with other professionals in your field. That's why you should never turn down an unpaid internship without first evaluating the experience and networking pool, where you'll rub shoulders with executives and CEOs—future employers and references. You can't compare $8 an hour (depending on where you're earning it) to experience and a reference letter from a prominent employer.
Older & Experienced
In the post, Suit Up! Get Back in There! you learned that you're never too old to earn a college degree. Time can never elapse on your dreams if you let it. Here's more proof: one of my favorite people and PhD candidate at Southern Methodist University, Chris Davis shares how he, at age 27, interned and how it redirected his career:The program I was aligned this past summer is called Education Pioneers. Ed Pioneers is a national organization that recruits talented individuals to the education sector. Most people who participate are in MBA, Education, JD, MPP (public policy) or PhD programs. A lot of my fellow pioneers this summer were in school full-time while I was looking to make a career change.
Ed Pioneers partners each fellow with an education institution partner. Mine happened to be Teach for America. I worked on a strategy project for the Teacher Preparation, Support and Development wing of Teach for America.
The internship made sense for me, because I was looking to change careers. The internship was the best opportunity and the opportunity I was really looking for. I am now connected nationally and locally with all education key players. I have a better understanding of what Texas and the rest of the country are facing as far as the "achievement gap."
I had to quit my full-time job at TXU Energy, because they would not support my 10-week fellowship. This was ok, because I knew TXUE was not in my immediate plans and sticking around would only show a lack of faith and courage. When I decided to quit TXUE to complete the fellowship, I had no job in hand except for two part-time positions. This was a far cry from the salary I was making at TXUE. However, God blessed me with a full time position with Dallas ISD which was where I wanted to be, making more money. I was offered the job roughly two weeks after resigning from TXUE and two days before I started my fellowship with Teach for America. God is good.
Advice: If an internship will get you to where you want to go, don't be scared. Leap out on faith knowing God will have your back. If I were still at TXUE, I would have a paycheck but no fulfillment. At Dallas ISD, I have a larger paycheck and, more importantly, fulfillment.
Chris' words and the true story-turned movie about Chris Gardner's The Pursuit of Happyness proves that older college students are not crippled when applying for and benefitting from internships. Played by Oscar nominee Will Smith, Chris Gardner is a homeless salesman and single father who interns his way to a broker job for a better life.
One of my favorite scenes from the movie is when he tells his son: "You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you (that) you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period."
Young & Inexperienced
Likewise, don't believe that you're too young or inexperienced to ace an internship interview. Employers don't expect you to have a whole lot of experience, anyway. They just want to see passion, potential and purpose. If you love learning about your major that you want to gain as much knowledge as possible then you'll be sure to be hired. What if you're not hired? Treat not getting an internship as practice for the one you will get.The key to applying for any internship is preparation and displaying all those traits in your cover letter (which we'll explore in Part II). The fact that you're young is a plus, meaning you're impressionable, a clean slate. The benefits are the same for you as are for an older intern. Take advantage of them.
How did you benefit from interning? What do you know now that you wish you knew back then about internships?
No comments:
Post a Comment