A lot of people mistakenly believe that an internship is not a necessity; they think that they are going to learn what they have already been learning at college or university. However, an internship and a degree are two different things entirely, which is why you need them both! At college or university, you learn how to think – it is all about theory, whereas during your internship you will learn the hard skills that are required in day-to-day working life. A lot of people leave university without internships and they find themselves at a disadvantage when trying to secure a job. If they manage to get a job, they can often feel at a bit of a loss on their first day, as everything is entirely new to them. This would not have been the case if they had taken an international internship. With that being said, read on to discover five ways international internship experience and an online degree are the perfect combination.
You will stand out from other applicants – One of the best things about doing an internship is the fact that you will stand out from other applicants when applying for a job. Nowadays, there can be a hundred applicants applying for one position, and an internship can be the difference between you getting asked for an interview or having your application ignored. Plus, as you can do an online degree, like an online BBA in management, at the same time as you do your internship, which speeds up your career route.
You will learn valuable lessons and gain real-life work experience – One of the main benefits associated with doing an internship is the real-life working experience you will gain. At university or college, you simply learn theory, and while this is important, a lot of people struggle to apply this theory to working life. With an internship, you will get working experience, and so you will learn the hard skills that are required to do the job. This will make you much more confident when starting a new job. When you are applying for a vacancy, your potential employer will also see that you know how to function in a real work environment, and this will make them feel more confident about choosing you for the position. It is vital to recognize that there is no other way to gain these hard skills or industry knowledge. How else will you get a taste for a genuine working environment? How else are you going to talk with people that are actively working in the industry? Yes, at university you can talk to lecturers and people that have worked in the industry before. But during your internship, you will build up relationships with people that are active in the industry today, and thus you will gain relevant information, and you also never know what opportunities could present themselves.
Future employees want more work experience – There are plenty of studies and research that has been conducted to support the theory that employers want internship experience nowadays. A recent report conducted by High Fliers Research concluded that there was little chance of college graduates getting a job if they did not have any work experience. Most company owners will admit that this is just as important as a degree, if not more so. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, when it comes to attributes employers want when looking for graduates to hire, an internship is the most important factor. This comes ahead of the reputation of their college, the relevance of their coursework, their extracurricular activities, volunteer experience, their college major, and if they have been employed during college. Most employers will also admit that when they are looking at resumes they will assess the experience section before they take a look at education.
Grades don’t equate to a high work ethic – Just because you have received high grades does not mean that you have a high work ethic. The two do not correlate as much as you may think. Yes, it means that you are intelligent and competent in your chosen subject field. But this does not tell your future employer that you are a hard worker. You can be trained on how to get good grades, but this does not mean you are going to have all of the tools that are needed to succeed in a work environment. However, with an internship, you can show that you have a high work ethic because you have already had to apply yourself in a work environment. You know what it is like to get up and work the same hours every day, you know how testing the workplace can be, you know how much work is needed, and you are willing and able to put in the level of effort that is required.
You will show potential future employers that you are dedicated – When an employer sees an internship on your resume, he or she will see that you have gone to great lengths to make a career for yourself in your chosen industry. This will impress because it indicates that you are dedicated. This level of dedication is not displayed in someone that has got a degree but has made no effort to actively seek work experience that is relevant to the career they want to have. Moreover, potential future employers can contact your former boss from your internship if they want any references. Therefore, someone trustworthy and relevant will be able to testify for your dedication, commitment, and ability, and this will certainly make you stand out from other applicants.
Now you know the five main reasons why international internship experience is just as important as a degree, and so why they both need to be combined. Of course, you need your degree, but without an internship, you will struggle to secure the job you have your sights set on. This is because there seems to be an increasing number of graduates, and thus it is more important than ever before to make yourself stand out.
