5 Reasons Internships Are So Important

Several majors at Concordia University Texas require students to complete an internship before they can graduate. While it may seem like a nuisance, it’s actually an incredibly important part of your time at Concordia.

Even if your degree plan doesn’t require an internship, we highly encourage every CTX student to take one. Consider these five benefits that internships offer.

Experience for Resume

Employers typically want their job candidates to have experience in the real working world. This can prove difficult for new college graduates.

Internships provide you with the opportunity to gain the experience you need on your resume to stand apart from other candidates when applying for a job.

Networking Opportunity

During your internship, you will have the ability to meet people and begin to build your professional network.

Whether you’re interested in extending your internship into a full-time job or need a reference to apply with a different organization, the relationships you form during your internship can help you achieve your future career goals.

Pro-Tip: Check out our 5 Tips to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile blog post to build and maintain your professional network!

Explore Career Paths

The wonderful thing about internships is that you can explore what a specific career is like without having to commit your full time and future to it.

You might find that you absolutely love the environment and enjoy the work, or you might discover that the career you thought you wanted isn’t what you want at all. You may even recognize a role you really enjoy that you never considered.

Grow As a Professional

An internship is a great way to ease into the world of “adulting.”

Without committing to a career path, you have the opportunity to dive into a specific role and explore what it means to serve in that role. You will learn a lot about yourself, your work ethic, and how to interact with coworkers and supervisors.

Build Your Portfolio

When you do enter the working world, a portfolio of your work is an important asset that can help you stand out from competing candidates.

If you’re a writer, keep a record of everything you write for the organization. If you’re a graphic designer, make sure you make a copy of the visuals you create to put into your portfolio. If you’re an accountant, write a short description of the projects you worked on in addition to the results of your project.

Concordia understands the importance of internships. That’s why we have the office of Vocation & Professional Development, which helps you find and apply for internships. It also offers other valuable resources, such as resume writing and interview practice.