The power of internships

April 8, 2013

training

in·tern·ship
noun
1.any official or formal program to provide practical experience for beginners in an occupation or profession.
2.a position as a participant in such a program.
3.any period of time during which a beginner acquires experience in an occupation, profession, or pursuit

While the term internship gained its popularity in the early 1980’s, the concept of exchanging time for experience has been around since the 11th century. Today’s culture of the American internships traces its lineage back the European apprenticeships; when master tradesmen and women would instruct eager laborers in their crafts. Similarly, modern internships were designed to give otherwise inexperienced college students opportunities to practically apply their education in their chosen fields. Over the years the internship culture has blossomed among the various industries making it nearly impossible for recent college graduates to land gainful employment in their areas of expertise without some type of meaningful internship experience.

Many college students are familiar with the necessity of internships for their future jobs. Among high school students, however, the importance of such experience is rarely considered. This occurs because most high school students push off thinking about future careers until graduation or beyond. Unfortunately this mindset leaves little time for high school seniors to think through their post-graduation plans. Today so many students enter college without having a clue to what they actually want to do once they get their degrees. This leads to high drop-out rates,numerous changes in majors, and students going back to school after college to pursue other careers.

The number one benefit of interning for high school students is the chance for them to dabble in prospective careers. Because internships are generally a summer long, students can test out a type of job without actually committing to any company or college major. For the price of some free-time, a high school student could save himself or herself thousands of dollars and hours of pursuing the wrong career path.

Although many summer internship applications are already past due, it is not too late to find an opportunity. Start with a quick internet search at websites such as www.internships.com orwww.internmatch.com to see what is available in your area. If that search is unfruitful consider asking a company or business in your hometown to see if they would be willingly to create an internship position.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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