Internships definitely do make you more employable. You might be questioning how or why though? We’ve listed five ways that internships increase your chances of getting a great job after you graduate.
1. You’ll gain some form of office experience
Office experience is a valuable skill to have when looking for a graduate job. Even if your internship is virtual, you will get experience in a professional setting, answering emails and communicating with your colleagues.
This kind of experience is something that your competitors when looking for graduate jobs are less likely to have. You have also shown that you can work in a team-based environment, working towards common goals.
2. You can make connections with colleagues
You know that saying: ‘It isn’t what you know, it’s who you know’? While this might not be entirely true, doing an internship does give you a great chance to meet new people and make connections before graduation. Don’t be afraid to use these connections when looking for a graduate job later. You’ve proven your skills during your internship, and the company will be more likely to hire you if they’ve seen proof of your good work before.
Tip: LinkedIn is a great place to make connections. Be sure to make a profile and connect with as many people in your workplace as possible during an internship!
3. Get experience working on real projects
University is great for building your knowledge, but an internship exposes you to real-life projects being worked on by real companies. This is something unique to an internship, and gives you the chance to apply yourself in real-life scenarios.
After all, this is what you will be doing in a graduate job when you finish university. This will also give you evidence of ways you’ve contributed to projects, and be a great talking point during future job interviews.
4. You can link it directly to your future career
You should tailor your internship search to sectors or industries that you can see you working in in the future. For example, if you’re studying engineering or physics at university and want to continue in that field after graduation, think about an internship in that area. Lots of employers offer internships in engineering, where you can work on engineering projects.
This could even help with university work after an internship, as you will have a different, more practical perspective. Internships show you have an interest in your subject, and have taken the opportunity to get real work experience.
5. You could have experience of a full-time job
Lots of students don’t have experience of working full-time when they graduate. Many students do have a part-time job, but this is different to working full-time. This can be a difficult thing to adjust to after life at university.
Even if it was a summer internship or perhaps a week-long placement, completing this programme is further evidence that you are capable of adapting to the workplace, and should be as much of a shock when breaking the student sleep cycle! It is also further evidence of your punctuality and reliability, something employers are looking for.
Are you thinking of applying for an internship? We have a range of live events coming up with internship employers.