How? By snagging an internship with a startup. Here’s a few reasons why:
1) Real world experience: Joining a company as an intern gives you the opportunity to work hands on in a professional environment. In the right internship you’re not just there to get coffee or run errands but you’re there to gain actual work experience. Internships help by teaching you more about the career path you are pursuing. Think of it like this – internships are a way to validate you career choice.
2) Networking: Internships often give you the opportunity to attend meetings and events. In a startup you have the ability to have a direct relationship with the founders and executive team which will last a lifetime. Internships can even provide you with a professional mentor, to this day I am still a mentor to people who have been my interns over a decade ago and happy to say most of them are leading their own marketing teams or agencies.
3) Resume Builder: Without a solid resume it can be tougher to be considered for a position. And how can you have a strong resume without real world experience. Employers are much more likely to hire someone with internships and work experience rather than someone with a generic resume, lacking experience.
4) Time Management: As an intern you’ll become a master of time management. When you’re working in a fast paced professional environment you need to know every minute counts. Time management is vital in every circumstance whether you’re attending meetings, finishing tasks on deadlines, or making phone calls.
5) Cool Technology: Nothing is cooler than seeing the latest and greatest innovation being created in front of your eyes and getting to put your feedback into the evolution of a new technology.
If you are ready to talk to some of startup founders and find our more:
CoC Start-up Career Fair for ATDC Select Companies on Tuesday, Sept. 16th, from 5-7pm in the Klaus Auditorium, where you will be able to talk to some of the top startups in Atlanta. For more info email mcthomas@cc.gatech.edu or visit http://www.cc.gatech.edu/about/jobs/careerfair
About the Author: I’m Roger Lopez, VP of Marketing for Sideqik, I want to give you my take on why college students need to do an internship with a startup before they graduate. As a marketing executive, I’ve mentored tons on interns and have seen the power of the right internship. Whether an internship is paid, for credit, unpaid or not-for-credit doesn’t change its value. Often, students are reluctant to pursue internships because they worry they’ll be stuck doing menial tasks like getting coffee or making copies and let’s face it- no one wants to work for free. The truth is, although not all internships pay in cash they do pay in other ways.
Here is video Sideqik put together with our summer 2014 interns on the benefits of internships and a few reasons why internships are investments in your future.
