An internship is a golden opportunity to gain practical experience and learn about the reality of work, and its many advantages, but you must know how to search for appropriate training, given its importance in your career.
Watch this video for more information on internship and how to search for it, or see additional details below.
The importance of internships:
Practical internships provide real-life experience, are the perfect way to enhance your CV by examining experiences relevant to your specialty, and help you connect what you have learned in practice. The internship is also an opportunity to know yourself and gain a realistic idea of your chosen field. The experiences we go through help in shaping our personality and interests, and an internship contributes to knowing how to behave in the professional world, and the extent to which you accept and love your field of work, for the reality is sometimes not up to expectations.
The internship also helps create and develop a network of professional relationships, which are generally important for your future career. It also allows you to move to full-time jobs. Through the internship, you have the opportunity to showcase your talents and values to a potential employer, giving you a chance to be employed full-time. Employers are more inclined to hire people who were their trainees, given that they have invested time and money in their training.
The internship contributes to building your skills, as it provides students with important personal skills for work and later access to leadership positions. According to a 2018 LinkedIn report, 57 percent of people rated soft skills as more important than technical skills. These skills include, for example, communication, leadership, problem-solving, and teamwork, which are very useful in work and life.
How do you look for an internship?
First, start early. Early applicants for an internship opportunity have the advantage of being noticed by the employer first.
Some opportunities have early application dates, so applying early ensures that you take advantage of all opportunities.
Second: Prepare an effective CV. The CV is the first impression that the employer makes about you.
Even if you don’t have much professional experience, there are ways to write a CV that highlights your qualifications in training, which in this case can include courses, hobbies, and personality traits that are relevant to the major and that are helpful in the career path.
Third: Use your network. People you know may be aware of internship opportunities that are not publicly listed. If you know of people who work for companies and organizations that interest you, consider contacting them. You can also ask your professors or schoolmates to tell you about opportunities they know about.