Internships are very crucial for students to engage in while studying in college.

Students gain several benefits from internships. It allows them to acquire more knowledge in their field of study. It also helps them decide if it is something they are really interested in outside of class.

Also, students gain many networking contacts from internships that will increase their chances of moving up in the industry. Creating connections with different employees of an industry is important because it helps students get referrals when looking for jobs after graduation.

Administrative Secretary at the Student Success Center, Brittany Smith, believes internships are extremely beneficial.

“Internships are wonderful because it is a great way to understand what the job is going to be like without the stress of doing performance reviews and other things,” Smith said. “It also gives students lots of practices to put on their resume which will help them when seeking a job.”

Another benefit is how internships make a difference for future jobs. Students that exceed in their internship will be more likely to get hired for a paying job by the company they are interning with.

Internships could also affect a student’s starting pay. According to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, students who took internships were more likely to get a full-time job post graduation. They also make a higher salary than those who had no internship experience.

Several students struggle with getting a job after graduation because of no experience. According to a survey conducted by Chronicle of Higher Education, the most important elements of a resume are experiences outside of academics. These include internships, jobs, volunteering, and extracurricular. Participating in an internship during college is the perfect way to acquire experience for any job one may desire.

The first step in the internship process is for students to go visit Career Counseling, located at the University Center. The counselors will assist students in finding internships associated with their major.

“I would really advise students to go to the Career Opportunities Center, so they can work with their internship coordinator to get a sense of what they are looking for and what is available out there,” Smith said.

The next step would be to register for College Central Network (CCN) to view all internships and co-op positions available. After registering and uploading the needed information, students can reach out to different employers and receive emails for upcoming internships.

There are several internships available to students on campus. For example, the Student Success Center has offered tutoring internships with students.

There are a few internships located in Valdosta. They include a pharmacy intern at Walgreens Drug Store, accounting intern at Azalea Health to provide revenue cycle management/medical billing services for clients, marketing intern at Herschend Family Entertainment which markets for Wild Adventures theme park and a general maintenance intern at Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe to help repair and maintain machinery and mechanical equipment.

Overall, internships provide students with a beneficial edge that is necessary in today’s age.

Story by Callie Pirkle, Staff Writer. Photos by Alex Dunn, Campus Life editor.

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