In an increasingly competitive job market, recent grads and students like me have had to work hard to make ourselves stand out amongst other applicants. One of the most common ways to do this is with an internship! Internships like the WINtern program with Women Into Networking help build highly skilled and capable workers through expanding connections, knowledge, experience, and confidence.
Connections
An internship is a great way to learn how to build relationships with people in your field and expand your connections. Connections are so important as they can give you a foot in the door to new jobs, experiences, or people to talk to and expand your knowledge and social circle! As a WINtern, I have appreciated the opportunity to build relationships with fellow interns and learn to network with people who already work within the fields I am pursuing.
New knowledge
Let’s face it - as much as we may like it to be true, school doesn’t always teach us the things we need to know for the job we are looking for. Thankfully, internships can be a fantastic space to learn and apply new concepts in a low-stress environment. In the past 6 weeks, I have gained critical knowledge about marketing strategies and how to successfully apply tools learned in school to real world settings.
Experience
Internships are also a fantastic way to develop old and new knowledge alike in a space where there is independence to solidify concepts on your own, but a support network to help guide you as needed. Plus, this hands-on experience helps build a portfolio which can be shown off to future employers during the next job search! Many of the assignments we have completed during this internship help us learn when to employ key skills that can be demonstrated to future employers, giving us an edge over the competition.
Confidence
All the points above lead into my final point: internships develop confidence. With more knowledge, experience, and connections, it is much easier to feel confident in your abilities and aptitude for future jobs. As I have begun to look for a job during the school year and brainstorm positions to apply for once I graduate, I feel much more qualified and confident that I am a competitive applicant for these jobs. This confidence allows me to feel comfortable applying to more jobs and have more success during interviews!
I can't wait to gain more knowledge as a WINtern and see how this opportunity helps me succeed in the future. If you'd like to follow along in my journey ahead, make sure to follow me on my LinkedIn and Instagram!
Комментарии