7 Reasons Why An Internship is Important For Students

Although it is a known fact that an internship is the best way to make your career, students sometimes feel it isn’t worth the effort or just not important enough. These thoughts may come across as common with students and they may not realize the importance of internships instantly. But in today’s competitive world, there is nothing more important than an internship or a practicum. Once they get hands-on experience as part of their curriculum, they feel enriched and ready to enter the real-work scenario with practical skills.  

Students search for high-in-demand online certificate programs that provide practicum experience as well. So, let’s unravel this mystery together and try to find out why internships are important for students! 

This blog will help the student community understand the importance of internships and how internships bring them closer to their dream jobs. 

What Does an Internship Mean?

According to Wikipedia, an internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. It is aimed at providing practical experience to the candidates when they implement their classroom learning in real-time work situations. It helps them learn the ways to understand and perform the desired duties and responsibilities in a particular role effectively. An internship is an amalgamation of theory and practice. Student interns equip themselves with practical skills in office settings. Internships also offer the benefit of creating professional recommendations, practical experience for your resume, and building networking opportunities.

Benefits of an Internship

Internships can offer multiple benefits to students. Not only do you get to explore the career option that you are studying for, but it helps you fill the skills gaps, if any, while you test out what you learned in the course. Your academic program gives you the theoretical aspect of that field, but an internship makes you better equipped with the practicalities of working in an office setting. Organizations accept interns at all levels – undergraduate, graduate, or sometimes postgraduate too. The practicum training can be paid or unpaid depending upon the policies of the companies that you get to intern with. 

Let’s learn about the seven key benefits of an internship: 

1. Using Classroom Knowledge 

The first and most important advantage of pursuing an internship is that you get to integrate the knowledge and skills that you learned in the classroom with actual work experience. Internships help you in testing out the practical aspects of what you know and focus on how to do a particular job. You may get to discover new things, familiarize yourself with the office environment, follow the processes, and explore the career path that you have chosen to study for. It gives you a fair idea of whether you made the right decision of selecting that particular career. 

2. Enhancing Employability 

While you get to work on various projects during your internship, there’s much more to it. You may turn it into a full-time job once you successfully graduate. Another essential benefit of completing an internship is gaining hands-on work experience within your chosen field. Organizations that seek candidates for internships consider them for full-time positions if they are satisfied with their performance and absorb them into the system. Internships help you enhance your employability as you can showcase your work on your resume and develop the confidence of handling the specific duties effectively. As an intern, you gain valuable feedback and guidance from the people working in that company, and you get to finetune your skills with what is demanded by that job role. 

3. Expanding Your Network

You collaborate with other teams in the company as you work on diversified projects. You meet people from different backgrounds, learn from their experiences, attend meetings and conferences, and also give your input to the management. This way, you exchange ideas and develop a network of professionals. You may leverage this network later to scale up your career or gain advice when you feel stuck somewhere. The relationships you build during internships can act as stepping stones to your next career opportunity. 

4. Refining Your Skills 

In an internship, you continue developing your skills and knowledge beyond classrooms. You are able to try out new skills and receive feedback from experienced professionals. Because you are still learning and not yet a full member of the profession, others will be more willing to mentor you and give advice without worrying about your reputation or job performance. This is a great opportunity to hone your skills and learn what all it takes to perfectly deliver your services. You are malleable like a sponge absorbing information from people who have more experience than you because they know the ins and outs of the business world. So, try to make the most of it to refine your skills.

5. Developing Professionalism ‍

The Skills Advantage Report 2022 by LinkedIn states that employees who have opportunities to learn are 3.5 times more likely to believe that their company can help them meet their career goals. An internship is a great way of learning, especially personalized learning. It makes you deal with people professionally and learn the ways of a professional work setting. Companies are also trying to align the personal learning needs of their employees with advanced education options. 78 percent of learners expressed the need for course recommendations based on their individual career goals and skill gaps in the LinkedIn report. It’s always good to do an internship while pursuing an online program. It helps you develop professionalism and leads to growth. 

6. Nurturing Confidence

How can you build self-confidence while you pursue your internship? By implementing your knowledge in real-life situations. As an intern, you can test out your new skills in an environment that is not as stressful as a permanent job. The organization expects you to be learning during your internship, so you will not feel pressured to perform well. This relieves stress and allows you to develop confidence in your abilities. You will learn more about yourself and know what you are capable of, which will make it easier for you when it is time to move into a permanent position.

7. Gaining a Competitive Edge ‍

It’s a competitive job market out there, especially in the current climate. There may be hundreds of other candidates applying for the same role as you. As a result, you need something to set you apart from the competition. Internships can provide you with experience and skills that will help employers notice you, and they show that you’re someone who has drive and passion—someone who has been motivated to acquire experience outside of just college.

Final Thoughts

To summarize, internships are vital for anyone who wants to get ahead in their career. Internships provide an opportunity to apply what you’ve learned in the classroom and gain valuable experience while making new connections with people in the industry.

Now that you know how important internships are, it’s time to find an online program and secure a place in one. Check out ABM College’s Health, Business, and Technology programs that offer practicum experience as a part of their curriculum. 

Interested in knowing more about how we can help you secure an internship and assist in your job search? 

Contact our career counsellors today. 

Read more articles about employment and skills. 

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