There are many jobs that people would love to have in today’s job market, especially for a college student. Students go to college to obtain a degree and gain a job in a particular field that suits them. In the modern world, a degree alone isn’t enough to obtain certain jobs, so internships are starting to become required. 

Some college students could have problems with this, especially if the internship they’re doing requires a large amount of work with no paychecks. Some would question if the job were even worth it at that point. I can tell you from my experience with internships, pay or not, they are worth it. 

Sometimes internships can be a part-time job, that way you can still have another job to work and earn money and still gain experience. An internship can really help people decide if the job they want in life is really the kind of work they’re cut out for. 

Classes can teach a lot and offer some knowledge and experience. However, that might not always be enough if you’ve never had a face-to-face experience with the job. Internships can offer a hands on experience that you couldn’t obtain through college classes. 

Internships place people in the life of an employee. That opportunity can help anyone decide whether the particular job they want is worth having or not. 

This would bring me to my second point; gaining skills through an internship. From my personal experience, I once was an intern at a magazine company in Mandeville called “Inside Northside.” Each day was a new experience, from learning how to update websites, assisting with photoshoots, editing/writing articles and interviewing people. It was an entire new world for me when I started. 

Working at “Inside Northside” offered me more knowledge and first hand experiences than any class could teach me. The internship not only helped me realize what kind of job I wanted to do, but it also opened up gateways to other possibilities such as different jobs and opportunities. 

If someone has an internship long enough and prepares to find a real job, the company you interned for might have a job prepared for you. An intern would have a higher chance at earning the job at a company rather than someone who applies who didn’t intern at all. 

When handing in a résumé, internships show how much experience you’ve truly had in certain jobs which can reflect on you as well as tell your employers early on, “Yes, this is the person that’s ready to do this job,” rather than “No, they need to keep looking.” 

The people you meet while interning can be a crucial aspect of gaining a future job. Always stay connected to the ones you work with. When you’re in need of a job in the real world, they might be able to hire you or recommend you to another employer. Internships are truly the key to the business world and demonstrate people’s motivation, reasoning and dedication to the job they’d like to have in the future.