Don’t let me scare you away from the idea of an internship. It is definitely a good thing. Let’s review what an internship offers and how it will benefit you.
The paradox of starting in the ‘real world’
I’m sorry to say, but as a fresh graduate there is a good possibility that you are going to experience a good six to eighteen months of depression when you realize that your degree means squat in the ‘real world’. Theory is great to know, but what employers want to see is experience and application. And they want to see years of it.
It’s the age-old Catch 22 of how do you get experience without a job, how do you get a job without experience. Can you see where I’m going with this?
An internship may take a bite out of your wallet, but consider it an investment in yourself. It will give you that much needed work experience you need to get the job you want. The longer the internship, the more experience, the better your CV will look when you apply for that key career starting job.
But paying for and showing up to do an internship is just the bare minimum. You want to learn something from it too, don’t you? You may have a mentor or supervisor to teach you your daily tasks, but one thing will make the difference between a good internship and a bad one: attitude. You don’t need attitude, you need to have a good attitude. Why?
You get out what you put in
A good attitude means having the initiative to intuit when things need to be done, having the will to do whatever is asked of you, and then be willing to take on more. Consider yourself responsible for the things you do (because you are). No one else is there to do them, that means others are depending on you. By nature, you will only receive those responsibilities that are required of your position. If you really want to make an impression – and if you really want to learn something more – offer to do more. Your mentor/supervisor will appreciate you lightening their load, and you will benefit from gaining a greater skillset to add to your CV. The better your CV, the greater your chances of that all-important ‘real world’ job.
It’s not always what you know...
Another benefit of an internship is networking.
I doubt you will be working with just one other person, so talk to people. Ask others what they do. Be friendly, get to know them, and always be willing to give them a hand. This may all sound a bit boyscout, but the more willing you are to help people, the more you will impress them.
It makes sense that people are more willing to hire people they know than a stranger. It’s your attitude people will remember, so make sure they will never forget you. It’s not always what you know, it’s who you know.
- Canadian Chris