When applying for an internship, you may not have any idea of what direction you want to go, or what it’s like to work in the industry you are studying. In any career, finding out what sparks your interest and motivates you to want to work hard is a big part of the journey and completing an internship can really help you to figure things out.
Work out what you like and dislike
We go through our whole lives constantly learning what we like and dislike, we either love or hate marmite, prefer cats or dogs, and within our careers it’s no different. My internship has allowed me to dive into all aspects of what the Marketing team does, enabling me to contribute to projects I may love working on and some that may require me to take some deep breaths and count to 10 occasionally. Try to make the most of everything you work on and take the time to note down the areas you have really enjoyed. Graduating from university already knowing what road you want to take is a great way to start your career.
Develop your work ethic
I think most people will admit that their work ethic at university is substantially different to how it is working full time. I know I can safely say that my work ethic at university compared to my internship is starkly different. This doesn’t mean that most of us don’t or didn’t work hard at university, but university working hours are definitely more flexible. An internship is a massive change in environment, as you are no longer able to pick and choose when you turn up to work. Internships are a great chance to discover how to work with others in a professional setting and what works best for you when organising your time. Understanding this sooner rather than later will help ease you into employment much smoother after university.
An upper hand for your career
One of the biggest things that you can take away from your internship is experience. Experience is very valuable and can set you apart from other students graduating with the same degree. It’s a competitive world out there, with thousands of graduate students applying for the same job, so having actual work experience will increase the strength of your CV and give you that extra boost when it comes to applying for jobs.
An internship is just the first step of your journey to working life, and it’s important to make the most of everything that is thrown at you. However challenging, stressful, and demanding it may be, take advantage of the opportunity because it will benefit you massively for the future.
Thanks for reading,
Amiee
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