By Caroline Pereira
Everyone hears “you need to get an internship”, but why? Internships are a great way to get professional, hands on experience in a field that you are interested in. Oftentimes you will learn skills that you may not get in a classroom setting. Internships can also help students decide whether they genuinely like the work they would be doing in that field.
The thought of applying may be intimidating at first, but it is important to remember that internships are to help you learn. I work as an intern in the Dean’s office for the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. I started this position my junior year with minimal experience in graphic design and video editing. The only experience I had was editing films on iMovie and my social media accounts for fun. Now because of my internship opportunity I have learned how to professionally use platforms such as Canva and Adobe Premiere Rush. I doubted my capabilities for this position in the beginning, and this almost prevented me from even applying. However, internships aren’t just about proving what you already know. They are learning experiences which allow you to strengthen your skills and grow professionally.
You are probably wondering where to find internship opportunities. Lots of opportunities are posted in our emails, so it is important to check your inbox frequently! Positions also may be posted on bulletin boards in buildings such as the ILC and Student Union. Another common resource people use is Handshake, which is a career site where you can find internship and job listings. Lastly, a classic way to score an internship is through a connection.
You may be sick of hearing how you should be networking, or this may be your first time hearing it. Whichever it may be, making connections and forming genuine relationships with fellow students, professors, and the people around you is so important. These relationships may lead you to opportunities in the future. Though it may be nerve wracking to have to interact, just remember that you are not alone in feeling that way. The more that you do something the more confident and better you get at it, and that goes for networking too. It's okay to be intimidated at first, but don’t let that stop you!