Listen HereBy: Olivia Wile
Twitter: o_wile
Email: wileo@findlay.ed
Though college is a wonderful time for learning, getting a job after graduation might ultimately come down to who you know, not what you know. At least that’s how the saying goes, right?
Aside from providing a nice three and a half month break from the madness that is college, the summer can also be the time to form connections that could benefit the future.
According to Internships.com, “A summer internship gives you the opportunity to prove your value to the company. The employer will know what you’re like and what you’re capable of before they even interview you for the permanent job.”
Being a journalism and digital media major, there are many different options when it comes to a future career. As a result, internships are especially important in accumulating different experiences and building a diverse resume: that’s probably why the University of Findlay requires every student in the Communication Department to complete one.
This summer, I had the opportunity to intern for the Ohio News Media Association and AdOhio. Over the ten-week program, I learned more about graphic design, the journalism industry and law. I also grew close to some pretty amazing coworkers and learned a lot more about the real work world.
According to the article, “Timing is everything: when to do an internships” posted in November of 2016, my summer internship was a smart move.
“Although your career interests and your workplace skills might not be that developed as a freshman, a freshman-year (or sophomore-year) internship can be a good place to start weeding out potential major choices and career paths.”
The article does, however, does not encourage freshman to pursue internship opportunities due to the fact they have just began their academic career and may not have developed as many skill sets yet.
Whether a student-athlete crunched for time, a student working and balancing academics, or just a students with a rigorous course load unable to complete an internship during the academic year, the article says that summer internships are typically more effective anyways.
“Summer internships allow you more freedom, in general, since you have a wider choice of options such as interning part-time or full-time. Being able to intern full-time will give you a clearer sense of what the workplace is really like and will give you more opportunities to take on and complete intensive projects.”
So though it’s ideal to start early, sophomore to senior, there’s never a bad summer to complete an internship.
