10 Common Misconceptions About College Internships

10 Common Misconceptions About College Internships via pexels.com 1. Interns only make coffee and copies. People tend to believe that interns dont do anything worthwhile for the company. However, this is totally untrue. Companies dont hire college students to do mundane tasks that no one else wants. Sure, you may have to make a few copies throughout the semester, but the majority of your job should be doing something worthwhile. Unless, of course, you accepted an internship for copy-making. 2. All internships are unpaid. A common rumor about college internships is that theyre all unpaid. However, there are a fair number of internships that  are  paid. The pay might not be as high as you were expecting mostly because you dont have a degree yet and youre an  intern,  but having an internship and gaining the experience of being an intern can easily outweigh what might seem like less-than-perfect pay. 3. All internships will result in a job offer. Most of the time, this could probably be assumed. However, theres always a chance that your internship wont turn into a job. However, you shouldnt accept an internship hoping that it leads to a job. You should accept an internship because it will give you the experience you need to be better at your job in the future. If youre a really great intern and your internship turns into a job wonderful! But the expectation shouldnt be that an offer will be waiting for you on your last day. Dont be discouraged by this misconception! Just because your internship may not result in a job offer at the end of the semester, theres a lot more that could result! If you walk into your internship every day ready to work and get the job done, more than likely youve acquired more than one strong recommendation from your internship supervisor. This can come in handy when you are applying for jobs following graduation. Having someone to vouch for your work ethic and productivity in the workplace will go a long way when it comes to securing a job. Employers have overwhelmingly stated that an internship is one of the most important factors to consider when they look at hiring recent college graduates. Additionally, completing an internship can result in: increased confidence: youll feel more confident in your workplace abilities if youve had experience in the field critical contacts in the field: maybe your relationships with these people arent strong enough to serve as references, but they may be able to steer you in the right direction when it comes to finding a job after graduation an education you cant learn from the classroom: there are certain things textbooks and professors cannot prepare you for. Dont let this scare you. A college internship is the perfect place to gain the knowledge you need to excel in the workplace 4. Only nationally recognized internships are worthy. College internships are worthy, whether or not theyre with a company thats nationally recognized. The experience you can gain from  any  company, regardless of their national ranking, will be worthy in the future. Applying for jobs after youve had an internship automatically gives you a leg-up on all the applicants who  havent  had an internship. It doesnt matter if you worked for BuzzFeed or not, at least you went through the process of applying and accepted a position as an intern in the first place! Infographic created by Lorena Roberts via Visme.com 5. You should only apply for internships in your field of study. Its perfectly fine to apply for internships in related fields. After all, a large portion of your education can come from the experience of  doing it.  What youre studying in school doesnt have to limit you to what youre capable of doing on a day-to-day basis. Internships with non-profit organizations are some of the most flexible. If youre willing to help people and work with the community on a daily basis, youre more than qualified to be an intern at a non-profit. When youre thinking about applying for an internship, or youre looking for an internship you think you would enjoy, dont limit yourself to what youve studied thus far. Internships are open to all kinds of students and majors. Youll never know if you dont try, right? 6. Internships are only for the latter half of college. Internships come in many shapes and sizes. You arent forced to wait until youre a junior or a senior to get an internship. The earlier you can snag one, the better off your resume is going to look. Internships are offered during each semester and the summer. Students tend to think internships are for the latter half of college because this is when students tend to have time to use a semester interning. Its unlikely that in the spring semester of your freshman year youll get an internship, just because you havent taken too many classes yet, but by the time youre a sophomore, youre a strong candidate for an internship. If you dont want to use a semester working an internship, theres always the option of taking a summer internship. Additionally, you can often gain college credit for an internship if you set it up with your department. Engineering, business, and architecture often set up flexibility in their programs of study for an optional internship. This is probably because students in these majors are the most likely to apply for and get an internship. The experience and education youll gain from being an intern, even for just the summer term, is more valuable than pushing your graduation another semester. If you have the opportunity to work an internship, but youre worried its going to take you longer to graduate, think about how much more attractive your resume will be when you enter the job market if youve already had some experience. Its definitely worth it, and I think any advisor you talk to will tell you to absolutely snatch that opportunity! 7. A high GPA will get you an internship. A high GPA will certainly help your application throughout the process, but this isnt the only thing youll need to get an internship. The process is much more complicated. If you want to secure an internship, one of the key parts of the process is an interview. If you get invited to an interview, you should be prepared in the following ways: research the employer beforehand have a list of questions that are important for you to have answered dress professionally; you wont be taken seriously if you show up in a T-shirt arrive on time be positive be energetic thank the interviewers; showing gratitude will make you stand out 8. Interns are free labor. Oftentimes, companies are excited to welcome interns to their team! New, fresh ideas, upbeat personalities, and young, excited individuals can add a whole new perspective to the teams goals. Sometimes, unpaid internships get a bad name because it seems like interns are being taken advantage of. But this is likely  not  the case. Companies seek out interns for a specific purpose whether that be training (hopefully) future employees, gaining new perspectives, or giving back to the colleges and communities who support them, an internship (even if its unpaid) is beneficial for both parties. If you find yourself making copies and coffee runs in your first few days at the office, dont be disgruntled. Part of working an internship is for the company to see what youre interested in and what youre willing to work on while youre there. Dont be afraid to voice your ambitions to your supervisor. Showing youre interested and motivated will really impress your coworkers! 9. The application process is long and enduring. Knowing when to apply for an internship can be tricky. The rule of thumb is that its never too early to start researching and applying for an internship. Youll have to get all the materials together that are necessary to complete an application. Sometimes youll need recommendation letters, transcripts, and, of course, youll need to interview. However, needs of an organization can change on a dime, so if youre looking for a summer internship and its late spring, keep trying do not give up! Companies will oftentimes reach out for an intern at the last minute simply because their needs have changed. If youre looking for a summer internship (which I would say is most popular), you should start researching and applying  before  winter break. Theres a lot that goes into accepting an intern to a company, so the earlier you start the process, the more likely it is that youll have everything together and be fully prepared to be considered for an internship. Try not to get discouraged during the application process lots of college students embark on this journey every semester. You are fully capable of landing an amazing internship. Keep pushing. via Pexels.com 10. An internship will prolong graduation. Sometimes students assume that an internship will prolong their academic goals. However, it is more than possible to make an internship count for college credit as well. Typically, there is some way to accrue credit for an internship. Whether it be through the department youre in, or elective credit, sometimes referred to as field study, receiving credit for the work youre putting in at an internship is more than possible while youre in college. Its important to start looking into the possibility of an internship early on for two reasons: planning your academic timeline and meeting all the necessary requirements to graduate. If you want your internship to count for college credit (which you more than likely do!) get started early to ensure everything is in place. Whats in it for the employer Sometimes college students assume that an employer is just looking for free labor, but this is likely not the case. Employers use internships for a few different reasons. The underlying reason for hiring an intern is for the company to get a return on their investment whether its in the present or the future. Sometimes hiring an intern is a solution for the company being unable to find a full-time employee to take a position. Another reason an employer might be looking for an intern is because they want a new perspective on a project theyre currently involved with. Sometimes interns are the best way to get a refreshing take on something that the companys been working on for a while. If an employer is looking to improve the overall public view of the company, hiring interns that have positive experiences may boost community reputation. When interns have a good experience with a company, theyre more likely to talk about their experience with their peers, friends, and family members. Employers should approach your internship with a list of accomplishments you both want to achieve. You should feel obvious transparency between you and your supervisors. You should feel like part of a team. If you dont, you should think about whether or not you want that internship. That being said, an internship during college can be a fantastic experience for todays student. Theres so much to be learned from working with people in the field, understanding how a company operates, and gaining the knowledge and experience that comes from an internship. If youre planning to apply for a college internship, know that the application process is half the battle.