College is all about discovery. It’s a span in your life where you broaden your worldview, consider new perspectives, and learn more about who you are and who you want to become. It’s also the prime time for gaining experience in the field you plan to go into. That’s why summer internships are so important (and totally worth the time).
To shed light on the benefits of a summer internship, Wyley B., a student from Bentley University, has generously shared her own internship experience. Keep reading as we explore all the ways in which a summer internship can contribute to your personal and professional development.
The Benefits of Summer Internships
Summer internships are opportunities that allow you to gain hands-on experience in your area of interest and build your professional skills and network. It’s a real-world experience that will teach you valuable skills you can use throughout your entire career. They could even be leveraged in landing a dream job right after graduation or negotiating for a higher starting salary.
Let’s explore more benefits summer internships can provide.
1. Connections.
“My favorite part is the connections I’m making,” Wyley says about her summer internship with the TJX companies.
Developing relationships with the team at your summer internship can be foundational in your career. They may hire you after you graduate, introduce you to other professionals who can expand your skillset or hire you, or you could find a career-long mentor. Relationships are key in career building. Networking before you even need a job can be exactly what helps you get a job when you need it.
2. Confidence.
Walking into your first day in your dream field is exhilarating. You’ve spent all this time building up to doing it on your own, and the time finally comes. But let’s be real—there will also be days that you don’t feel excited or sure of yourself. On these days, you need to remind yourself that you have what it takes. Having internship experience helps you pick yourself up. When you have more hands-on experience, you can strengthen your self-confidence within your role.
3. Core skills.
You’ll have deep knowledge and understanding of your area of study once you graduate. As much as we love old-fashioned classroom learning, we know that applying knowledge is the best teacher. In a hands-on setting, you will be in situations where you build your problem-solving, communication, conflict-resolution, and leadership skills. Learning how to work with your team and clientele as well as apply your skills will determine your career success from the very beginning.
Wyley tells us that one of the best parts of her summer internship is shadowing a team of buyers who pick out decorative pillows. “It amazes me how well we work together,” she says, “It’s very inspiring.”
4. Career Goals.
Wyley also mentioned that her summer internship with the TJX companies helped her get experience in the corporate world and figure out which job was right for her. Summer internships are a great opportunity to test-drive a role before you sign a contract later. It’s a short span of time that gives you valuable experience and helps you determine if you are in a position you’d like to be in.
These experiences help show you what you like and don’t like, which will guide your career decisions moving forward. Being confirmed of your position and abilities will help you construct confidence at the start of your career.
Advice for Summer Internships
An optimistic attitude will take you a long way in your career and internships alike. Remember—you are applying for internships with your career goals in mind, so take your role seriously.
Your experience will teach you things you didn’t expect. At Wyley’s internship with a team of buyers for decorative pillows for a nationwide company, she learned that selecting pillows isn’t about what you like, it’s about putting yourself in the mind of the customer. In this instance, the buyers showed Wyley how to put aside personal preferences and make decisions based on trends, sales data, and knowing what their ideal customer will respond to.
As with many things in life, summer internships may be different than you expected.
“Be open,” Wyley advises, “Do as many in-person interviews as possible. Be confident. Express what you want and like because that will get you far.”
Are Summer Internships Worth It?
In a recent study, a whopping 84.5% of interns expressed that their internship(s) were valuable to their career development. Summer internships provide you with practical experience, connect you with a group of professionals, and help you develop skills that you will use for the rest of your career. Whether you decide to participate in an internship or not depends on your career goals and overall preferences.
A major deciding factor for you may be compensation. Most summer internships are paid or offer course credits for your time. Paid internships give students of all socioeconomic backgrounds a chance to gain valuable experience while paying bills.
Unpaid internships may not be a possibility for students whose families cannot afford to cover regular expenses for them. If you cannot find a compensated summer internship in your field, there may be a non-profit or other organization you can volunteer your time with and receive course credits instead.
Ultimately, finding a summer internship will depend on what works best for your situation. If you are on the fence about applying for summer internships, explore more benefits here!
