9 Benefits of Internship For Students & Employers [Guide]

Not sure why you should do an internship? Do you want to understand the benefits of an internship?

I myself did an internship almost 15 years back, when I was doing my MBA, and believe me, it helped me alot in shaping my career.

Internships have become an essential learning part to consider for a student and even a recent graduate. Not only learning, Internship also helps students figure out if the field they are working in is right for them or not.

They work as a sort of bridge between college and a work environment, giving students practical work experience that is not possible to attain in an academic setting. Join our internship website, and apply some of the opportunities to explore why internships are so popular these days.

Some Benefits of Internships

Internship is a win-win situation for both students and employers. I discussed them in detail below.

As a student, you are not sure of which industry is right for you. We get thousands of CVs every month from Freshers. Believe me, most of them, despite there post-graduate degrees, are not sure of what they actually want to do in their lives.

The industry is very fast-paced, everything including the market, technology, and resources changing every now and then. For example, with advancement in cameras in your mobile phone, the demand for digital camera is almost finished.

So, before you actually choose the right industry for you, work in multiple sectors for a few months, explore them, match them to your taste, and choose the best one.

9 Internship Advantages for a Student or Recent Graduate

Internship duration typically ranges from 1 month to 12 months. This short duration of work, where you work as a fresher, molds your career in several ways.

So, not only do they boost your skills, but they may get you some pocket money as well :). Here is the whole list of benefits, read them out.

1. Practical Knowledge

Think of a web developer who has only learned the theoritical part but in interview, he could not create a test page.

This happens when you have no practical knowledge of the subject. One of the most important elements of internships is that they allow students to work on LIVE project.

You can apply the theoretical knowledge you gained in your classrooms and your mentors can help you transform your learnings.

This experience is invaluable as many job offers these days usually have certain minimum requirements such as a Degree and some work experience. You could also gain other valuable experiences that contribute to both personal and professional growth. 

2. Personal Growth 

Ever heard of deadlines, client calls or late-hour workings? Corporate life is not as easy as your college.

Other than helping with professional growth, internships also help individuals’ personal growth by exposing them to challenges and environments they aren’t used to.

This makes them step out of their comfort zone, get accustomed to new roles, and help to build their confidence.

3. Networking and Mentorship 

Come out of your social media life guys, meet the real experts now.

Internships allow interns to meet experienced professionals in different departments and fields. This helps to develop a good relationship with them, it can also help in finding you a mentor. 

Having a mentor is an important aspect of an internship program, a mentor can guide you toward the right direction to achieve your goals.

They can also refer you for an open position in a company. Even if it is a different company, people still keep in touch with their mentors years after their initial meeting.

4. They Enhance Your Resume

An internship experience these days is a deciding factor when it comes to your resume getting shortlisted for a job opening.

Hiring managers like students who have done internships.

You should add all the information about the learnings, and job responsibilities you had during your internship in your resume.

This will enhance your resume and make you look more attractive to potential employers, as hiring managers are often looking to hire people with practical experience in a work environment. 

5. Development of Skills 

Internships help greatly in honing your skills, whether it is specific skills for a job like coding or marketing, or general soft skills like verbal communication, teamwork, or problem-solving.

These soft skills are useful not only in your professional life but also in many other aspects of life. Through an internship, you will discover what skills you are already adequate in and what skills you need to work on.

You will also learn how to properly make use of these skills in different environments and how a skill such as verbal communication differs between college and work environments.

6. Helps in Building Confidence

First day, first job, full of anxiety, right?

You may be experiencing some anxiety and a lack of self-confidence during your corporate experience.. This is natural for students as they just tasted the professional work setting.

This is where an internship is going to be very beneficial, as you will find yourself in a busy work environment where you will get to meet and observe many people working in different fields.

You will be asked to give presentations, and handle a tough situation that boosts your confidence. You see how your seniors manage their time while executing their duties.

All of this will only lead to building your confidence as you transition from your College or University to full-time employment.

When your placement season starts, you are all set to answer the employer’s questions, you know what matters to them the most.

7. Explore Career Goals

You will see a lot of people who started as a Graphic designer and today working as content writer.

Internships can help you determine which path you want for your career by giving you first-hand experience in a profession before you fully commit to it in a permanent job.

This can be very beneficial for students and recent graduates as internships can let you figure out the career path that best fits your personality and talents. 

It could also be the case that you liked a specific department of work or niche that you no longer find as interesting and change your trajectory accordingly before you end up entangled with it. 

8. More Job Opportunities 

While it isn’t a complete surety, however, if you did well and accomplished your tasks properly during your internship, then it is likely that your employer will hand out a permanent job offer to you.

On our website, you will see a few internships with pre-placement offer.

Think of your internship as sort of a long interview in which your supervisors will keep a note of how well you are doing in the tasks assigned to you. Naturally, if you meet their expectations, they will see you as a valuable asset to their company.

This can make it easier for you to transition into full-time employment.

9. Pocket Money 

Students apply to internships not only for learning but also to meet their day to day expenses. Specially when you apply for a second or third internship, you can bargain a good stipend from the employer.

Employers also offer stipend these days in order to attract quality talent these days.

Applying for a job? Prepare your self-introduction before your interview.

4 Benefits of Internship for an Employer

These are the benefits of internships for an Employer.

1. Cost-Effective 

Interns are often willing to work for little or even no pay, employers can hire interns and give them projects that they would otherwise have to hire full-time permanent employees for.

This makes it a great opportunity for students and recent graduates to get real work experience while also making it much more cost-effective for the employer to get work done.

You also save on other regulatory compliances like PF etc as it is not mandatory for interns.

This way the company and interns both benefit each other.

2. Fresh Perspective and Ideas

A fresh and youthful mind is always a good idea to have around, especially when an issue that is causing problems in the company keeps recurring, an intern may provide innovative solutions to such problems when it is not possible for others to see.

3. Developing an Intern’s Skills

Employers can mentor interns and teach them skills that align perfectly with what the company needs, this way it makes them great future permanent employees. 

4. It Increases The Productivity of a Company 

Interns can take on tasks that are of lower priority, but they need to be done either way. This can free up the permanent employees, who can now focus on tasks of higher priority which need more focus and take up more time.

This boosts the overall productivity of a company and makes interns attractive in the eyes of the employer.

5. Best For New or Short Term Projects 

You may have acquired a new client or got a short term project for your company. If you hire a permanent employee in such a situation, you may have to terminate them once the project is over. Believe me, that is the last option for a brand.

No one likes to give pink slips. In such situations, I recommend hiring an intern.

Hiring an intern proves as a go to solution. You can hire an intern for one month to twelve month duration. If the project continues to grow, you can offer your interns a permanent role.

In an adverse situation, as there is a short term commitment with interns, there are no negative cost implications.

So, why wait? Register, and post internship now.

Paid vs Unpaid Internships

Generally speaking, there are two types of internship programs, Paid Internships and Unpaid Internships. Paid internships financially compensate the interns for their work whereas unpaid internships do not.

Additionally, paid internships are more competitive and employers expect more from the intern as they are getting compensated for their work.

Unpaid internships, on the other hand, are not as competitive and might be more flexible when it comes to hours and responsibilities, allowing interns to better balance their work and life.

When it comes to experience gained from the internship, they are both a good choice for students to apply the knowledge they have gained in their classes into a professional setting and add real-world experience to their resume.

Now that you have learned about the major differences between paid and unpaid internships, which one should you apply for? 

I think the answer to that question depends on your career goals and financial situation. You might want to work at a company as an unpaid intern but you realize that you also have to cover your living expenses and tuition fees.

A Paid internship, on the other hand, can help cover those expenses while also giving you the real-world work experience that you want.

But sometimes, a certificate and learning from an unpaid internship can have more value as compared to one from paid internship, you should evaluate that aspect as well.

I hope this has cleared up your confusion about working as an intern.

FAQs About The Benefits of Internships

Here are answers to some common questions regarding internships and their benefits.

Final Words – The Advantages of Internships

Freshers can learn a great deal from an internship, as internships can open new career paths in life that one may have been unable to see before. In this article, I covered internship benefits for students, hope you found it informative and helpful.

Suggestion for students! if you are a writer, we have an exclusive Grammarly discount for you, go grab it.

For any queries, comment below.

About the Author:

Mrs. Sunny Gupta is the co-founder of a leading talent recruitment firm ecH-aaR Manpower Solutions.

She has worked with several leading brands as HR and helped them in scaling up their organizations.

She is an expert in career counselling, resume making, manpower planning and ERP.

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