How important is an internship during college?

Question

I'm an international studies major, and I already have three years experience in the army (One in Iraq). Should I still seek out an internship for experience?

Answer 1

A-hem. I think army experience is so different from civilian experience that you should run, not walk to any internship experience you can get.

The view from outside a huge organization that makes its own rules, the ability to work from a position of relative anonymity and weakness, and to show your flexibility requires not that you seek out an extensive or long-term internship, but something on the order of 4 to 6 weeks is certainly important.

Answer 2

I am an International Business graduate. I worked as a Teaching Assistant in my final semester at college. Our school offered practicum in business courses. Basically they recruit you in the summer in one of the big private companies in Kuwait to gain experience. I didnt enroll in any of them because I was almost done with classes and that class would not have helped in filling in any of my gaps...

I strongly recommend that you do so when you have the chance. I was asked in two of the interviews of any past experiences or internships. Its strongly recommended that you seek that :)

So, your experience in Iraq must be awesome and overwhelming! Not that war is awesome or anything! But I bet you gained experience and your personality must have been touch in so many ways.

I am from Kuwait, and my country was invaded by Iraq in 1990. Wars are awful and disastrous! I learned a lot and experienced emotions that I never thought I had, even though I was young at that time... but I always think to myself, its better to try and gain the good outcomes rather than just remembering the sad and awful ones!

Good Luck :)

Answer 3

It depends on how marketable you want to be to employers and what your specific college requires for your major. The more experience you have the better as a general rule. My major required me to have 2 internships, but more were encouraged and we could only receive credit for 3 credit hours of internships.

Answer 4

Internships also give you something to talk about in interviews. Or you may just end up with a full time job there after graduation!

Answer 5

Yes! Internships will make it a hell of alot easier to make the transition after college. They are very competitive to get, but once you get a good one, you are set.

m.

Answer 6

networking is crucial,it is not just what you know but who you know and internships may lead to other opportunities and provide experience,does not hurt to do this

Answer 7

absolutely. adds more experience, helps make more connections, gives you more opportunities to explore what you may really like, and this will add to your already impressive resume. good luck.
and thanks for the tremendous job you'll are doing in Iraq.