So, you’re looking to get your foot in the door of your dream industry, but how do you do it? One of the best ways to get on-the-job experience is through an internship. Having an internship can open a lot of doors in the industry of your choosing.

But the real question is: What is an internship?

An internship is the perfect way to gain hands-on industry experience that can give you an advantage against other candidates at the same entry level. Interviewers tend to look for internship experience on a Resumé as it helps them recognise how much, or how little, industry training and understanding you have.

During an internship you will have the opportunity to take everything you’ve learnt about the industry in your university studies and apply it to real world industry situations. Theory can only take you so far and landing yourself an internship after graduation, or even during your course, will enhance your understanding and experience within the field of your choosing.

Internship opportunities can be found almost anywhere, for example:

  • Universities provide internship opportunities for students and graduates from almost all courses
  • Most industries tend to offer short term internship experiences to graduates
  • Social networking sites, such as LinkedIn, are used to advertise internships, and
  • Job seeker sites like Seek, Indeed and Jora advertise internship applications.

An internship is a great way to give you first-hand insight into the industry and business world. This kind of opportunity will allow you to see and experience some of the most integral areas of a company and industry. Use this experience to build your knowledge in your professional field and start your path to excelling in your career.

Whether or not the internship is paid or unpaid should not deter you from applying. The value gained from your experience will be worth more for your future career and job search. 

Finally, use your internship to advance your networking skills. Through your internship, you will be able to meet people from all areas of your industry. With this unique opportunity you will have the chance to build connections that can be maintained throughout your career.

An internship is one of the best ways to explore the practical element of your studies and enhance your understanding of your chosen industry. This gained experience will give you an advantage in the job market as you take your practical skills and show real industry knowledge to future employers. Through internships, you will gain networking connections that will help you in the future, along with a foot in the door of your chosen profession field. The overall value of an internship is immeasurable, so get ahead of the crowd and look into applying to an internship today!