3 Aug 2011
Life Advice #425
When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.
-Mark Twain
*image sourced here
I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.Maya Angelou
When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.
-Mark Twain
*image sourced here
Ever since happiness heard your name, it has been running through the streets trying to find you.
- Hafiz of Persia
*image sourced here
I took a 3-month internship almost a year ago. I noticed that starting out on the ladder as an intern resulted in a slightly patronising attitude from fellow business graduates… unemployed graduates I might add. I couldn’t believe the stigma that was and still is attached to interning.
The common opinion was that taking an internship was beneath us and that we should all be walking straight into high-paying, executive positions in blue-chip companies. And all this in the midst of a global economic recession of course.
Okay guys.. what were you smoking?
In fact your sole purpose there is to learn. In some cases you’re even being paid to learn, which is quite a score. You can be a bit of a lackey sometimes, but being a lackey never killed anybody. Plus you’re learning from some of the brightest minds in the business, which is an incredibly valuable opportunity.
I can’t even put into words how much I learnt. I tried to compare what I learnt as an intern in digital marketing, to the knowledge I gained from our Honours module on e-Marketing and the two were incomparable.
I probably learnt more during my 3 months as an intern than my entire degree put together.
An internship doesn’t have the pressure of a full-time position. You’re the intern and everyone knows this. You may have a few steep learning curves but there’s support nearby and it’s a relatively sheltered environment in which to grow. If there is a huge stuff-up, it more than likely won’t be your head on the chopping block. It’s like you’re peeking into the real world.
Internships are usually 3- 6 months, so you don’t have to make any long-term commitments. Plus you may not be sure what you want to do when you graduate. I knew a lot of Business Science grads who had picked the degree because they were told “it’s a good degree to have.” They didn’t pick it because they had any sort of pre-defined career path. When I graduated I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do, except that I most certainly didn’t want to crunch numbers all day.
Interning at a digital marketing agency meant I could test out if that was the direction I wanted my career to take.
You have to start somewhere. An internship is a good starting point and it gives you something more substantial than just a piece of paper.
You can show companies that you were prepared to intern and this speaks volumes. You didn’t just sit around and wait for the recession to subside. A lot of graduates take off to London in the hopes of walking into an amazing job. I saw several come home with no jobs, no money and a serious lack of motivation. London is tough and having work-experience under your belt is a major advantage, so don’t go there empty-handed if you can avoid it.
When you graduate you’re a little bit arrogant despite the fact that you actually don’t know much at all. No really, you don’t. You can challenge me on this, but trust me nothing beats real-world,working experience.
You’ve have to realise that you’ve got a lot to learn because you don’t know it all. You’ve got to earn your stripes and move up the ranks. It puts a much better business head on your shoulders and gives you grounded perspective.
6. Achievement
There’s a great sense of achievement in completing an internship, especially if the company offer you a full time position.
Somehow it feels more deserved.
Your hard work paid off.
It comes down to basic maths really. If you and Joe Soap are going for the same job, and Joe Soap only has a degree, then you’ve got the advantage.
More graduates should intern either during their vac or after their final year of study, because as long as you’re not being exploited, it can only benefit you.
Remember…
If it sometimes feels like the work is too demanding, just remember that no one got anywhere without a little bit of blood, sweat and tears. No one said life would be easy. Some of the most successful people in business took work as either an intern or an apprentice. They worked a little bit harder, for a little bit less because they recognized a valuable opportunity to learn from the best.
* images sourced here and here
Mother City Blogger. By day: Mobile Brand Specialist. By dreams: Actress. Gets Hiccups. Loves bad puns. Hates spiders. Understands Offside Rule. Will own an R8. Queen of the Typo.
Copyright 2011. All writings are property of the Hobson. Please ask first :) kthxbai
