Peer Career Consultant Blogs

While the goal of an internship may be to receive a full-time job offer, what is the goal of an internship as a freshman or sophomore?

The best advice I’ve gotten is to use my internships as opportunities to explore different careers. Employers tend to put a lot of pressure on students by wanting us to have a substantial amount of work experience and extensive knowledge in the industry for which we are applying. However, how can companies expect us to know so much about a career path where we have never held a professional position?

Well, the key is to keep an open mind throughout your internship search, and don’t be discouraged if you don’t satisfy the minimum requirements that are listed in the application description. Remember that internships are designed to be short, lasting only a few months or even a few weeks. This makes them an excellent way to dip your toes into a potential field of interest because they don’t require long-term commitment and do not bind you to a role for an entire year. The best way to see if you like the career is to get real world work experience in the field, and relate it back to your goals as a student going into the workforce. You must be willing to try new things in order to discover your interests, and gaining experience through internships in many fields will pave the way for exciting new job possibilities.  

Why listen to me? 
Having a wide range of internship experiences has led me to a field of employment that I would have never considered 4 years ago. Growing up knowing no one in the business industry, I didn’t have a network that could help leverage potential career opportunities and it was difficult to acquire guidance about potential job options that coincided with my major. Internships allowed me to gain experience in a variety of fields, including digital marketing, public relations, interior design, sales, insurance, and even food service. While I may not have felt like I was living the corporate dream in each of these internships, these experiences have given me a reason to say “no” to specific jobs, they have forced me to delve deeper into other fields, and they have left me with no regrets. My exploratory journey has forced me to think more rationally about what I value in a future profession and ultimately narrowed down the particular field of work that is most appealing to me.

Now, how should you approach your internship in a new industry? 

• Be a sponge!
• Ask questions when you are confused or curious about something new that you learned.
• Ask to shadow employees to learn about the various positions in the organization.

• Go on coffee chats and informational interviews.
• Learn about other people's background stories! You may be surprised to learn how many professionals have had career pivots or detours from their scholastic degrees.
• Make new connections!

• Use everything as a learning tool.
• At the end of the internship, make sure you are able to reflect on your experience. Can you see yourself exploring this career? Was there anything in particular that was interesting to you that you want to expand your knowledge on? Why?
• Determine what you gained from your internship and, more importantly, what you learnt about yourself!

• Stay connected!
• People are always willing to help and mentor a young professional. If you’ve had a negative experience in your role, ask to see if anyone could connect you to an internship that interests you more. As an intern, you are not binded to the company. They understand that your position is temporary, and while they would love the opportunity for you to join the company, all they want is for you to thrive in your professional career. 

You aren't required to enjoy all the work you do as an intern, and you aren’t required to understand how to do everything in the office, because after all, you are not a full-time employee. Of course, you should give it your all and make a good impression on your coworkers, but the most essential thing you should do as an intern is determine whether or not you can envision yourself working there as an employee. Do you like the company’s values? Do you like the industry? How does the day-to-day work as an employee interest you? How do you find your employees' work-life balance? These are the questions you should be asking yourself. 

Looking into your future should feel exciting, and you shouldn’t necessarily feel stuck to the position you had during your first internship. Explore while you have the chance, and be sure to remember that the first job opportunity you get does not determine what you will be doing for the rest of your life.