WiPjobs’s Team

Writer @ WiPjobs Recruitment

The importance of internships in your professional career

The job market is competitive. “You need experience to get experience” seems the biggest challenge for the ones trying to get a job nowadays. However, if you have a relevant internship on your CV it will give you a competitive advantage over the other candidates applying for the same role.

The key element of internships is that they mix the theory learned in class with practical application developed in professional environments. Furthermore, they also provide an opportunity to see if one particular career field is the right one for you.

By performing good in your internship, you will create a great impression that can provide you a reference letter and, who knows, lead to a job offer.

Advantages of doing an internship:

1. Learn how a professional workplace operates:  Internships help students learn all about the workplace culture, employee relations, and leadership structure. Ask your boss if you can “follow” him/other employees for a day or so and absorb all the information you can during your internship.

2. Soft skills: Internships provide students with the soft skills they need in the workplace. In a LinkedIn Skills Report (2018), 57% of people rated soft skills, such as communication, leadership, time-management, problem-solving, and teamwork as being more important than technical skills.

3. Networking: Internships provide the opportunity to meet professionals in the career field you want to pursue. Those connections can be very useful for your future career.

4. Learn more about yourself: Your internship will result not only in your professional development but also in a greater understanding of yourself.

5. Higher chance of finding a great job: An internship can lead to a full-time job in the company you are in as it works as an audition for both the student and the company.

With employers looking for candidates who can easily transition from being students to full-time employees nowadays, internship experience is more important than having good marks.