The Benefits of Internships Before College Graduation

When I first entered the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass communication at Arizona State three years ago, I was not too fond of being required to complete an internship before graduation. I moved to Phoenix not only to go to the Cronkite School of Journalism, but to move 3,000 miles from home, lay pool-side in October and sleep in on a Wednesday because I felt like it. An internship didn’t sound like fun and how would I make time for catching rays?

Now as a senior, I look back to my fresh out of high school ideas on what college would be like and I realize how naïve I was being. I firmly believe that college students should complete at least two internships in their respective industries prior to graduation. Why? Because internships are the only way to gain real-world experience and find out before entering the workforce what you like and most importantly, what you don’t like.

Forget about whether the internship is paid or un-paid. The most important factors to base your decision on should be the responsibilities you will have and the people you will be working with. Will you have meaningful duties that allow you to see end results or will you be making coffee runs and copies? Are the co-workers friendly and helpful? Do they tell you when you are doing a good job? What about the areas where you could improve?

Here are some benefits to having an internship during college:

1. Networking. Connecting and taking the time to talk or grab lunch or coffee with employees at your internship will help you down the road. Ask about their professional background. Where did they go to school and have internships? What are some obstacles and achievements they have seen? Stay in touch with your co-workers too either through email or Twitter. You may need to reach out to them for advice down the road or they may reach out to you about a job opening they know of. An article from PR Daily highlighting what to look for in potential internships said, “This past April, the National Association of Colleges and Employers reported that employers will increase internship hires by 9 percent in 2011. Employers will also draw approximately 40 percent of new college hires from their interns.”
2. Resume. If your resume shows that you have completed an internship, this automatically makes you stand out against another potential hire who does not have internship experience. Having internships to list on your resume shows that you have had real-world experience in a professional setting. You will also have work samples besides those from your college courses.
3. Real-world work experience. Interning in a professional setting will give you the opportunity to see what happens day in and day out in a professional setting. Chances are you will have your own desk, emails to sort through and meetings to go to. Internships can give you an idea of what to expect once you start working full-time and you will ultimately feel more comfortable as your job hunt approaches.
4. Feedback. The feedback you receive from your internship supervisor is incredibly helpful. All of my supervisors in my three internships have given me constructive criticism when I needed it and that has helped tremendously in improving my work. They have also boosted my confidence by telling me when I’ve done a great job on something. Don’t take feedback personally either. Supervisors are trying to help you be the best employee you can be!
5. Discovering what you like, and what you don’t. I have had two other internships prior to interning at E.B. Lane. Both were entertainment and film PR companies. I liked both of my internships and learned a great deal about PR in the film and entertainment industry. What I also learned was that no matter how much I loved film and entertainment, I did not enjoy working on the same thing for months at a time. I have found through my internship at E.B. Lane that I enjoy the agency setting with a variety of clients from different industries. By having a few different internships, I have learned that I like variety in my work and my day, which the E.B. Lane PR team gives me. I am also assigned tasks that challenge me, whereas other internships provided me with work that was not challenging and did not stimulate my mind.

Had I called it quits after my one required internship, I may have found myself down the road not liking the work I was doing, and even worse not knowing what I do like. That is a frightening thought to me. Graduating from college and preparing to look for a job is scary enough and it happens fast! My best advice to avoid this fear is to intern as much as you can during college, network with your co-workers, ask questions and join an organization related to your industry (in my case PRSSA). It is a smart decision your future self will thank you for. The other thing I have learned is that the pool never disappears and now Saturdays are for sleeping in.

How have internships helped you? Did you ever have a learning revelation from an internship?

Here are some more tips from PR Daily on how to stand out as an intern.

We are always looking for future PR and Account Service interns. If interested in PR internships please send resumes to Katherine Thornhill at kthornhill@eblane.com or if interested in Account Service internships please contact Jackie Mossay at jmossay@eblane.com.