Internships for Skills
The best way to learn something is through hands on practice. This goes for your future career as well. If you know what you want to do for the rest of your life, or if you have some ideas, but you’re not sure if you would like to pursue them, then an internship is what you need.
With an internship, you can learn about the industry you want to get into. You will gain experience and find out if it’s something you are willing to do for the rest of your life and that you would enjoy.
So often, kids go off to college and get a four year degree in some industry and then when they start the job, they find out that they hate it. It’s hard to get over that you just wasted four years of your life. Okay, it might not have been a complete waste, I’m sure they got the general education requirements out of the way. Hardly enough help the situation, though.
If only they had tried an internship or had gotten some taste of what it was they were going to school for. Now is a great time to try out what you are interested in. Look into it before you take one class having to do with it, it may save you a lot of time and money.
You can find internships in many different industries, but what you’ll be able to get will depend on your age and whether you’re in high school or college. Most internships that you can get college credits for or get paid for are only available to college students who are at least half way done. You can search for internships at collegerecruiter.com.
If you’re not in college, but you still want to find out about the accounting career or medical environment, you need to take things into your own hands. Do you know someone who works in the career you are interested in?
Is your uncle an accountant? Is your neighbor a dentist? Is your mom a teacher? Ask around and find someone who knows someone who knows someone, or even go right to an office of your chosen profession.
Once you find someone, ask if you can observe them. Some people would be more than happy to help you out. They just might be flattered that you want to take on their profession.
Maybe you’ve watched your best friend’s dad doing his physical therapy thing and you’re still interested. If you want to learn more, try to get a job in the office. Maybe they need another secretary or someone to answer phones. Again, ask around.
It’s your future. It’s your responsibility to move forward. Getting experience in an internship will show you the ropes of your desired career, and may just get you a great part-time job in the process.
