Happy Friday / end of the course; we made it guys! I hope you are having a good day! Today I am having a cookout with my best friend and we are celebrating me being done with my fourth and final class of the summer! A topic that I would like to discuss today is internships.
An internship is when you decide to work for a company/organization that is related to your college major and apply what knowledge you have gained from school into working for that company. Often times internships are 10-12 weeks long typically in the summertime at the company, but they can also be completely virtual and any time a company chooses to offer.
Some common obstacles with internships include finding the right one for you, having the time for one, and the supply and demand of internships within your geographic location.
Looking at solutions to all of the obstacles related to internships, it is important to do your proper research before committing to an internship. You should ask yourself if the company matches your values / what you believe in, where is it located in proximity to your college/hometown, if it is paid / unpaid, and if your college is okay with you participating in that internship. Next, you should ask yourself if you have enough time for an internship. Many people have busy summer schedules and you have to see which summer within your college career is best for completing your internship because eventually, it will need to happen as it is required to graduate in most cases. Supply and demand of internships within your geographic location is another big thing to consider because often times there aren’t a lot of internships in a location for the number of students just like you that want to work in the same location. I have considered interning in State College, which is a smaller area, but there wasn’t nearly the amount of opportunities such as a big city like Pittsburgh.
Considering all of the following points are important when trying to determine what internship is right for you. But as long as you stay determined and have a plan, you can land an internship that will work for you and that you are genuinely interested in.
Have you had any trouble finding an internship? Would you prefer an in-person or virtual internship? Let me know, I would love to know!
Have a great day and the rest of the summer!
-Hunter