When you are in your last year of college, you may be wondering about whether you should take a business internship. At times, when people finish college, they might not have enough experience to get a full-time job right away. So, a business internship might be the best option.
Why intern anyway?
A lot of companies offer internship programs to possible employees. Interns can opt for working part of full time for companies, governmental organizations, and nonprofit organizations. The internship programs are quite popular with undergraduate or graduate students and they usually last for one to four months. The purpose of internships is to gain research-related and practical experience.
Keep in mind that internships can be unpaid or paid. If it is unpaid, there are labor guidelines in the United States that companies need to follow. If it is unpaid, federal law requires that the intern’s work must not be a benefit to the company financially and the company cannot use the intern to displace the work that is done by other employees. According to Asia Internship Program (AIP), even though becoming a full-time employee is not promised, at the end of an internship, a lot of employers use internships to train and evaluate future employees. A survey in 2009 found that 67% of interns were given jobs when they finished their internships.
Types of Business Internships
There are various types of internships to choose from, but your choice will depend on what major and career interest you have. Some of the most common choices include:
1. Product Marketing Internship – if you are studying marketing, this internship will allow you to learn about how to market new products and services. You will be able to learn the marketing basics as you gather data on marketing trends, analyze, and interpret the product feedback, as well as study various marketing strategies of business competitors.
2. Business Management Internship – this internship will give you the chance to be exposed to great job skills, such as project management and analysis of sales. You will probably help with developing tools, conduct a business analysis, and discuss the business strategy with a team.
3. Business Development Internship – during your time as a business developer intern, you will help with partnership developments and market research. You will be helping with business relationships with customers and partners. You will also learn a wide range of factors that are involved in building a successful company and you will also understand what you might need to build your own company.
Benefits of Internships
In order to have a successful career, getting an internship is necessary. Here are some benefits of internships:
1. You will gain work experience – most students lack experience, hence this is one of the best ways to gain it. You will be exposed to various business skills and roles, hence you will be able to do various jobs that involve all aspects of the company.
2. You can get hired – if your internship goes well, the company might offer you a full-time job once your internship is finished. The company will have enough time to evaluate your skills and work, hence, they might offer you a job.
3. Learn from successful professionals – you will be able to learn from the best experts during your internship. As you are working on various projects, you will always have someone to look up to and someone who will teach and help you with obstacles that you might run into while at the company.
Conclusion
As you can see, internships can give you more experience, understanding, and a chance to get hired once it is finished. So, do not waste any more time and start searching for programs that will fit your college major, as well as your interests.
Nina Smith 
Nicola Holder