How will internship experience help me in college?

it will give you insights into what the job entails. and, might give you insights into what field of medicine you might enjoy

Hi Brittney,

Good question, time is and will always be an important commodity that you want to make sure you divvy out appropriately. When it comes to college, there are so many things that push and pull you for attention, one of those being whether or not you should seek an internship.

What you need to understand is that you are growing up in a very competitive world. Many more people are attending colleges and coming out with college degrees in the workforce. It used to be that degrees equaled jobs but that isn't the case anymore. Now many organizations and businesses want to see experience along with a degree. The Catch 22 here is that usually you want to work the job for experience but you can't get the job because you lack experience.

So an internship is that extra boost that your resume needs. It shows those who are looking at it that you have gone above and beyond just the typical college experience and APPLIED what you have learned to actual life. That experience sometimes can be more important than your degree, if any, it can be the deal breaker that wins you the job over someone else. When it comes to your time in college an internship once again to help you practice and apply what you are learning. It makes your coursework relevant to your life instead of just being data to memorize or a test you need to pass.

Internships can also help you figure out if the field you are in now is what you want to do after you graduate. Some grads get out of college and realize that what they thought was their ideal job isn't really what it is all cracked up to be. Or sadly, their ideal job doesn't exist in the real world (due to economic climate, automation, or that their profession is rare to find life paying wages). Internships (not all the time) help break some of those misconceptions down and guide you to what you really want to do. If anything, it gets your foot in the door.

I've known many people who have used internships as a stepping stone for their future career. Not only do internships give you an insider's view of a given company, but they allow you to see the many different roles available to you, including ones you may have never heard or have been aware of and how they function. I've had several friends who used internships to get their foot in the door by making good connections with their colleagues and trainers. I've known some who realized that the job they thought would be perfect for them wasn't what they wanted at all, and then ended up finding a much better fit in a different role or environment. I consider it to be like market research. Use the experience to grow your skill set, make an impression, network, understand a company, figure out what you are interested in, and so much more. Start making connections now on sites like LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, Indeed, & Glassdoor for professionals everywhere you work and ask those people if they will write you a recommendation for your profile and get their contact information to keep for references future employers can call or email to get the skinny on you but make sure that you are memorable for the right reasons. Don't forget that your Network = your future Net Worth.