Internship Advantages and Disadvantages
- Gives you a first-hand look at what life in a particular job or company is like.
- Affords you the opportunity to make contacts with valuable insiders who may be able to help you network your way to bigger and better opportunities.
- Gives you a leg up over others applying for a job at the same company.
- Offers the chance to gain valuable skills that will assist you in preparing for full-time employment.
- Usually provides some form of compensation, typically monetary or school credits.
- Enables you to impress would-be employers with your on-the-job performance, something you can’t demonstrate in an interview.
Disadvantages:
- Some companies view interns as indentured slaves and provide them with little more than drudgework.
- You may have limited opportunity to actually meet the company’s “movers and shakers.”
- You may be stuck doing just one type of work in one particular department, limiting your exposure to the company as a whole.
- You may not get paid for your efforts.