Why every student should complete an internship

Many students do not realise the importance of doing an internship whilst you are still studying. I was one of these students! Completing an internship was a core requirement for my degree and that was the main reason that I did it. Little did I know that this experience would help me to fine tune my abilities and kick start my career in PR.

The most significant thing that I gained from my internship at Dawn til Dusk Publicity was career direction. At university, many students feel lost as to where their degree will lead them or whether they are even in the right degree. Gaining real life work experience will help you to find your feet and discover your career pathways. For me, I have never been certain as to what profession I want to do, however after completing my internship I am ecstatic to be starting my career in PR.

An internship will also allow you to finally apply all the skills you have been taught at university to the workplace. Whilst it is great to finally use your skills outside of the classroom, you will soon discover that university doesn’t teach you everything! I learned so much during my internship that can only be taught on the job. Apart for the PR skills I learnt, this experience also taught me to be more organised, adapt to different tasks, and to develop a keen eye for details.

Not only will an internship help you to develop your skills, but it will look great on a resume to potential employers. There are many students who do not undertake an internship whilst studying, so by doing so you will be a step above the rest. Work experience in the industry is invaluable and will make your resume stand out.

I believe that my internship at Dawn til Dusk Publicity will help me to stand out even further from the crowd as it has better equipped me for the work force. I have heard many stories of other internships where the students’ main responsibilities were stacking boxes or filing papers, barely anything to do with their degree. From day one of my internship I was writing media releases for clients. The tasks and responsibilities that I was given whilst at Dawn til Dusk Publicity helped to prepare me for future jobs.

Being an intern has helped me become more confident in my abilities and helped be to discover a career path. I can’t be more grateful for this experience and recommend that every student complete an internship.

~ Written by Jacki Smith.

She completed her internship with us February – April 2015.