Internships and Why They Should Matter to You
By this point in the semester, you have no doubt received a myriad of emails concerning jobs and internships. You may wonder if an internship, especially an unpaid one, is worth your summer. I cannot speak for all cases, but I can speak to my own experience.
I have had four summers in my Harding life. The first, I went home to work a lifeguarding part time job in the town I grew up in. This job didn't pay excellently, but it was still a job and helped me pay for textbooks and other charges the following year.
My second summer, I had no luck in an official job hunt. I was fortunate enough to be able to live at my aunt and uncle's place and do yards for hire with my cousin whenever we weren't doing upkeep and landscaping on the property. This was certainly not the most profitable option, but it worked out as I had to take a summer class at another college and wouldn't have been able to complete any formal summer employment.
The next summer, I was fortunate enough to land an internship in Little Rock - only to find at the last minute that it would be unpaid. At that point I had no other options. I slept on a friend's couch and drove Searcy to Little Rock, working 40+ hours a week. Mind you, this is not a smart business plan. I stuck with it and was rewarded with a standing job offer after graduation, meaning it was mine regardless. I also was given a letter of recommendation by the department manager and co-owner of the company because he was impressed with the work I did for the company.
This past summer I managed to land a job working on campus and supplemented it with yard work in a few counties.
Now, why do I tell you this admittedly dull history? Primarily to give credence to my closing. I thoroughly enjoyed my internship. I was respected by my coworkers and was allowed to work on actual designs and systems. There is a trope in which internships are likened to busy work. I can say that in my experience that was certainly not the case. You may ask if it was worth it monetarily, and my answer will be yes. Did I essentially pay to work? Yes. However, I gained experience for my resume and a job offer and therefore have profited in the long run. I would very seriously recommend an internship if it can be done - they pay off dividends later.
If you have any questions, the Career Center is located above the Student Center, and can be reached at 501-279-4454.
I have had four summers in my Harding life. The first, I went home to work a lifeguarding part time job in the town I grew up in. This job didn't pay excellently, but it was still a job and helped me pay for textbooks and other charges the following year.
My second summer, I had no luck in an official job hunt. I was fortunate enough to be able to live at my aunt and uncle's place and do yards for hire with my cousin whenever we weren't doing upkeep and landscaping on the property. This was certainly not the most profitable option, but it worked out as I had to take a summer class at another college and wouldn't have been able to complete any formal summer employment.
The next summer, I was fortunate enough to land an internship in Little Rock - only to find at the last minute that it would be unpaid. At that point I had no other options. I slept on a friend's couch and drove Searcy to Little Rock, working 40+ hours a week. Mind you, this is not a smart business plan. I stuck with it and was rewarded with a standing job offer after graduation, meaning it was mine regardless. I also was given a letter of recommendation by the department manager and co-owner of the company because he was impressed with the work I did for the company.
This past summer I managed to land a job working on campus and supplemented it with yard work in a few counties.
Now, why do I tell you this admittedly dull history? Primarily to give credence to my closing. I thoroughly enjoyed my internship. I was respected by my coworkers and was allowed to work on actual designs and systems. There is a trope in which internships are likened to busy work. I can say that in my experience that was certainly not the case. You may ask if it was worth it monetarily, and my answer will be yes. Did I essentially pay to work? Yes. However, I gained experience for my resume and a job offer and therefore have profited in the long run. I would very seriously recommend an internship if it can be done - they pay off dividends later.
If you have any questions, the Career Center is located above the Student Center, and can be reached at 501-279-4454.
No comments: