Internships transform students into professionals
By: Claudia Costello (CU) & Spencer Peterson (BYU – Idaho)
Approximately four million students graduate college each year and enter into the workforce, according to educationdata.org. Many of these new professionals lack direction and the necessary skills to succeed.
Internships provide the environment and opportunities to gain knowledge and skills that will give new professionals an edge in the job market. They also provide needed guidance and direction for students to learn where they want to go and what it will take to get there.
“Through my internship I learned how I work, my creative process, what field I want to work in and where I want to go,” said Spencer Peterson, former JKD & Company intern who recently graduated from BYU-Idaho. “I also made connections with professionals in my industry that have expanded my professional network and have helped me on my path to my first career.”
Simply showing up to an internship is not enough to get the desired results. When an individual actively takes part in a good internship, that individual is enlightened, invigorated, challenged and mentored. Mentors play a crucial role in an internship as they mold the student and help shape them as they grow into a professional.
Internships are the first taste of professional life and the first glimpse at who the student is and how they fit into the professional world. They are learning experiences and the gateway to the rest of a student’s life. These experiences provide students with the opportunity to take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it to real life clients.
“Throughout my internships I have been able to meet directly with clients, a skill that cannot be learned in a traditional classroom,” said Claudia Costello, also a former JKD & Company intern, graduating from CU this year. “During my internships, I learned that it is okay to make mistakes. No one is perfect and through making mistakes, students can grow. I believe that personal growth and accepting failure was a huge takeaway and that criticism in the classroom and workplace are two very different things.”
An important part of becoming a working professional includes learning about the work environment. “I was shown the proper etiquette of the workplace. From clothes to correct email format, I learned it all,” Costello said.
Having an internship in college is an important and often undervalued step to becoming a successful professional. We are thankful for all of the opportunities that our internships have given us, personally and professionally. Take the time to search for and find an internship that will challenge you to become the best professional you can.
