You’ve probably heard a lot about internships during your high school years: jobs that aren’t really jobs and get you experience for college and later employment. A lot of people would look at the grueling hours, and either low or complete lack of pay, and assume that internships just aren’t worth it. The truth is, though, they can actually get you a lot farther than you would think.
Finding full time jobs can be very difficult, as a lot of teenagers know. Most employers want you to have previous experience, but in order to have previous experience, you need to find a job. This confusing cycle usually leads to a less desirable, lower paying job. The other option, though, is an internship.
One of the most obvious reasons for finding an internship, if it’s something you’re interested in, is for college applications, but that’s not the only factor. If you are lucky enough to find one that fits your interests, it can significantly improve your chances at finding a job later down the road.
According to an article called 105 Internship Statistics: Pay, Intern Employment, and Demographics, offering statistics on internships and employment, “Completing internships increases job offers by 16%.”
Similarly, “The retention rate for hires with internal internship experience is 71.4% after one year.”
A majority of graduated students with internship experience also received job offers, as well as tending to earn more money annually.
Another important thing to consider is that while not all internships are paid, sticking with the same company or organization for a prolonged period of time can allow for special prioritization and even an upgrade to being a paid intern.
Personally, I started an online internship last summer, and was able to return to the same organization again this year. They were able to pay me for my work the second time, and because it is something that falls into my interests, I really feel that the experience has been useful and worth the work.
Internships might seem like something that only high achieving students make use of, but they are really accessible to anyone. As long as you are truly interested in the company you intern for, I would argue that internships are highly beneficial down the road. So, the next time you struggle to find a compelling job, consider searching for an internship instead.
