If you’re in college, one opportunity that may present itself to you at some point before graduation is the chance to participate in an internship program. Internships typically allow students to work for a company in their chosen industry or field for a shorter term (possibly by semester) and likely part-time, while they continue to attend classes.
There are absolutely pros and cons to taking on an internship, that every student should consider before signing up or deciding to skip out on the opportunity. Here are a few notable pros and cons to consider.
Pros of Internship Programs
You gain practical work experience
One of the best ways to get a student job that relates to your major or educational focus is through an internship. You’ll be able to carry out genuine work duties in a real working setting that is ideally related to your chosen field. You gain experience with adapting to new work routines and standards that give you an idea of what a full-time role would entail. This practical approach will provide high-value experiential learning that will help you succeed in your job later on.
You experience your chosen field
The opportunity to work in your chosen field prior to conducting a full-time job search after graduation can be a huge advantage. An internship can help you make up your mind if you’ve never worked in a certain area or are unsure about what a career in a particular field will be like. Finding out if your desired job path is right for you can be done with the help of an internship. It’s not at all impossible that you might get into your chosen field and discover it isn’t quite what you expected. In fact, you can almost be sure that at least some things won’t be the way you thought they would. Alternatively, you may discover that you love your chosen field even more than you thought. Either way, it’s extremely valuable first-hand experience.
Cons of Internship Programs
People treat you as a helper
Because some businesses view interns as assistants, they frequently assign them to tasks like photocopying, transcribing minutes, bringing coffee, organizing diaries, etc. Being an assistant may be the furthest thing from the internship’s intended objective. In this type of scenario, you gain very little real-world experience in your chosen field or the job you hope to obtain after graduation. This could give the impression that your internship was kind of pointless and generally leave a bad taste in your mouth about the industry and company.
The earning potential is modest
Despite notable exceptions (particularly in banking or technology), the majority of internships are low-paid (they can even be unpaid internships in some countries). While you should be aware that you won’t get paid well for an internship, everyone deserves to be paid fairly. Chances are you will at least make more than minimum wage, but it’s entirely possible you won’t. This can also lead to dissatisfaction with your chosen profession and a bad overall experience – let alone the loss of money taking on a lower-paying internship, compared to a job working in a restaurant or something else that fits a student schedule where you might actually earn more.
So, what’s the verdict?
There’s no perfect answer. But, if you do decide to participate in an internship program, you can absolutely look to avoid both of the negative scenarios we described. Ask questions about what your role really will be before arriving for your first day. Also, you might choose to only consider internship opportunities that pay as much or more as you could earn at another student-friendly job.
