Confidential: 7 Reasons You Should Actually Consider Internships That No One Tells You

By Kibet Tobias
`All the job adverts require work experience of two or more years. How do recent graduates handle this? Help a friend,’ Caren asked.
Caren isn’t alone in this case. Thousands job seekers just graduated from Kenyan colleges and wonder where to start. They have no experience at hand yet most jobs in Kenya require relevant years of experience? If by chance you find yourself in Caren’s state, then don’t worry anymore! It’s time you consider applying for an internship.
What is an internship? It is an opportunity that employers offer to students interested in gaining work experience in particular industries.
How long does internships last? An intern works at a company for a fixed period of time, usually 3,6 or 12 months. It might not pay much, just a stipend or nothing at all but it can be the start of a great career.
Internships can be helpful in a variety of ways to fresh graduates.

Here Are The Benefits Of Internships To Your Career

1. Helps you to discover your talents/interest
Internships offer students a hands-on opportunity to work in their desired field. They learn how their course of study applies to the real world and build a valuable experience that makes them stronger candidates for jobs after graduation.
This is a great way to test-drive your interest in. Let’s say you’re interested in broadcast television. Through an internship interview, you may discover that network TV is too fast-paced and hence too stressful for you. But after an internship, you may find that it’s not for you; that’s valuable insight that will help you choose your career path.
If you decide that network TV is not too fast-paced and suits your personality then by all means, try to get the job.
2. It provides mentorship opportunities
Many employees look to mentor young people. An internship program provides an opportunity for your current employees to connect with these college students, meet with them, speak with them, and ultimately – mentor them.
This mentorship program will be helpful for your career life and continued learning.
See Also >>> Ways To Make The Most Out Of That Internship
3. Internship helps you gain professional ethics
Firstly, a strong work ethic cannot be taught. It is learned and experienced. Internship thus gives u wider opportunity to acquire these ethics required in particular industry.
When individuals begin working in a new organization they either have it or they don’t. There are many contributing factors that go into making a strong work ethic like how a person grows up to the value they place on doing an excellent job.
4. Building communication and interpersonal Skills
The ability to be a good communicator cannot be overrated. Internship will definitely give you this chance to excel in your communication ability. Someone who just graduated from university or college doesn’t actually possess this. This is because of the casual and unofficial environment mainly full of peers they have lived in.
Remember to succeed in the workforce, employees need to know how to communicate as well as listen in order to work effectively with supervisors, co-workers and clients.
5. It’s All About Networking
Internships are a great way to build a professional network of contacts. Developing a good working relationship with your immediate managers, colleagues, and interns can be invaluable once you enter the workforce. Being invited to industry events, being introduced to others in your industry and hearing about different job opportunities is a part of every career no matter what field you work in.
As long as you develop a reputation for being responsible, hard-working and have the right social skills you will succeed at developing a network of contacts.
6. Internships can get you employed in the same company
I have met several colleagues who started working as interns and later got employed in same company they interned at. Remember once you show the ability, then you are good to go.
Many employers look to their own interns as the best potential candidate for a full-time position because they are a known entity and the intern already knows something about their corporate culture. Also, the less time an employer has to spend training a new hire the happier they are. Training is time-consuming and time is money.
7. Building a resume
Internships are a great way to build a resume before you enter the workforce. As a matter of fact, some schools require students to complete industrial attachments before graduation.
Even if that’s not the case for you, being able to list skills necessary in your chosen profession will set you apart from the competition and give you an edge in the marketplace.
It’s important when describing an internship that you are specific about what tasks you performed and the benefit to your employer.
Having read this article, start researching on particular companies and apply for internship right away. Apply for positions you qualifying for. If you get hired, just know it is your first day to connect with the employer. Do your best to get noticed.
All the best!