2008 Woodie Awards
Students should consider summer internship
STAFF EDITORIAL
Issue date: 4/14/08 Section: Opinion
AS THE END of the spring semester nears and the summer season is about to begin, it may be easy to lose track of long-term objectives and simply long for a break. For others the summer is anything but a break. Many students either remain enrolled during the summer term or look to work extra hours in order to make up for lost income during the regular academic year.
Whether students are simply looking forward to the summer break, planning to enroll in summer courses, or plan to work extra hours, all students should consider the option of participating in a summer internship program of some sort.
Internships offer participants an opportunity to receive real-world experience in their field of interest. These opportunities provide valuable experience that may help the students make a more informed decision about career choices and may provide the student with an added advantage.
After all, there is no better way to explore a career choice than to spend some actual time doing work in it. Plus, all other things being equal, potential employers will place greater value on an applicant who has in-field work experience than one who has not.
It is all too often that we hear stories about graduates who excelled academically but nevertheless may have a difficult time finding a job, especially in highly competitive job.
Take the world of journalism, for example. Even with a college degree, if a job applicant doesn't have real-world experience, then he or she has little chance of landing a quality job right out of college. By completing some kind of internship, along with having samples of actual publications, that same job applicant's chances of landing a quality job will rise tremendously.
The same can be said about students with other varying career interest. Want to be competitive for a decent paying job in business right out of college? Completing an internship may be just what one needs to gain that extra advantage. The same goes with students interested in anthropology, engineering, graphic design, political science, social work, television production, etc.
Whether students are simply looking forward to the summer break, planning to enroll in summer courses, or plan to work extra hours, all students should consider the option of participating in a summer internship program of some sort.
Internships offer participants an opportunity to receive real-world experience in their field of interest. These opportunities provide valuable experience that may help the students make a more informed decision about career choices and may provide the student with an added advantage.
After all, there is no better way to explore a career choice than to spend some actual time doing work in it. Plus, all other things being equal, potential employers will place greater value on an applicant who has in-field work experience than one who has not.
It is all too often that we hear stories about graduates who excelled academically but nevertheless may have a difficult time finding a job, especially in highly competitive job.
Take the world of journalism, for example. Even with a college degree, if a job applicant doesn't have real-world experience, then he or she has little chance of landing a quality job right out of college. By completing some kind of internship, along with having samples of actual publications, that same job applicant's chances of landing a quality job will rise tremendously.
The same can be said about students with other varying career interest. Want to be competitive for a decent paying job in business right out of college? Completing an internship may be just what one needs to gain that extra advantage. The same goes with students interested in anthropology, engineering, graphic design, political science, social work, television production, etc.
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