Internships can offer you and your organization great opportunities for getting real-world experience in your field of interest. Too often, people fall into a career without gaining hands-on experience in that field, or without ever speaking to people employed in the career. In many cases, these individuals go on to work in these occupations only to realize that the realities of the career are not in line with their expectations. This can be a very frustrating experience for young professionals.
This situation may be avoided if opportunities are available to gain accurate knowledge to aid in making decisions about one’s future career plans. Internships are one way to gather this knowledge – even if that knowledge leads you to reconsider your first choice for an occupation.
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Opportunities to apply classroom learning within the workplace
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Exploration of career options
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A chance to try out one’s interests, values, and abilities in a real work setting
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Opportunities to develop and enhance professional skills
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An increase of one’s self-confidence as a student and worker
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An opportunity to expand one’s network of professional contacts
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Relevant work experience to add to a CV will demonstrate a committed interest to a field
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An opportunity for personal development
