Internships are something that most college students and even some graduate students experience.
Internships can let you know if the career you are looking forward to is the one you really want to pursue for the rest of your life. You hear all the bad stories about internships from movies and Buzzfeed, but are those internships the truth or is there more to an internship than what the movies say?
Stephanie Butler, a 23 year old who studied English Literature at Swansea University, wanted to seek a career in editorial writing. She applied for as many internships as she could and got a response from The Complete University Guide.
“What I learned in my three months at The Complete University Guide took me above and beyond what I thought I knew about editorial, social media and the works of a website,” Butler said.
Butler was put in charge of several everyday duties, such as creating countdown articles for the top ten institutions for different subjects; editing and updating content on the website; creating a spreadsheet of marketing contacts to message about league table digital awards badges to feature on websites; learning about Google Analytics and Trends; and managing the Instagram account.
“Having so much responsibility early on was amazing, as it made me feel valued as an intern and also helped with my confidence in the workplace,” Butler said.
However, there are also going to be internships where you do not get as much responsibility. Yet even these internships are worth it in the long run. If you get the chance to network and get experience in the world of your chosen career, then the internship is helping you. Most internships are unpaid, although the Department of Labor Internship Guidelines are becoming stricter on paying interns. Most interns would prefer to get paid, although the fact that an internship is paid does not always qualify it as a good internship.
There are many amazing unpaid internships in the nonprofit world that provide great experience and exposure to the field. If you get the change to take on an internship, go for it. Enjoy the experience.
