How can you get a glimpse at what it’s like to work without making any long term commitment? How would you actually get the proper training? How do you know that the job you want is right for you?

It’s called an internship. An internship is a pre-job opportunity – it’s like working yet everyone is aware that you are there for only a limited time. It’s great because it allows you an opportunity to see what it’s really like to work in a specific place and gives you a chance to be trained to do what you want. If you’re good enough, you could even apply for a job and have enough experience to get it! In fact, if you’re good enough, the people you’re working for could even offer you a job without you having to apply! Internships can be paid, and they can be free. It depends on who you’re working for, and what you will be doing. Regardless, it’s a win-win situation.

Let’s say that it is your dream to work in the advertising field and you can’t wait to make commercials. Well, an internship would allow you to practice your marketing skills. You’ll be assigned a job – let’s say you’ll be assigned to analyze markets and create a commercial. Now, halfway through, you realize that it’s not what you want to do. Well, thankfully, it’s not your career yet, and you still have other opportunities to explore, and now you can add marketing and commercial-creating to your resume. That’s better than taking 4 years to study a field and then realize you wasted your time. Internships allow you to see what the working world is like and gain the training along the way.

It also works the other way around too. Let’s say you need money, don’t have time for a job and you also want to explore fields, so you sign up for an internship working with a local representative. Along the way, you discover you have a passion for politics. Now you have the experience you need, and you’ll know what to do with your life.

Typically, you have college and graduate students working as interns, mainly because they’re career- oriented. I am fortunate in that I have been able to find internships while still in High School. In terms of my experience, I’ve had two very different internships – one was science based working at the American Museum of Natural History, and the other, well……

The other is the reason why I write blogs for you guys! It’s great being an intern at IntroAmerica, and I’ve acquired a lot of skills that are very valuable. I’m also learning a lot about myself too, what else could you ask for?

So when you’re in college and you’re wondering what it’s like to have a job, don’t worry too much. Just sign up for an internship and figure it out!