As a college student, summer means liberation from class and midterms, but it's also time for the often-dreaded hunt for an internship. Whether it's scarcity of opportunities, unreal competition for the ones that do exist or a lack of alignment with your hopeful career choice, finding the right internship can become an internship of its own. Rather than gamble with internship-ception, ask the real question... "Is an internship even worth it?"
As someone who has pursued both a traditional internship and taken the entrepreneurial route by becoming my own boss, I can tell you that both paths possess challenges and opportunity. If you're looking for applicable experience with real-world problem solving, I'd suggest taking a stab at your passion this summer and strike out on your own. Below are some things to consider before going full-on Social Network as well as a few tips to get there.
Why Internships?
One of the established reasons for pursuing an internship is to lean on those already within an industry to learn and ask questions, and this is absolutely a benefit. Just like a freshman looking for tips on how to snag a free slice at the dining hall, you're going to be new to this whole professionalism thing and you'll want seasoned vets to show you how to do things. For me, it was interning at a radio station and learning the lexicon of the industry as well as gaining foundational knowledge in "how things are done in this business."
The role of a summer intern is sort of like hanging out in the shallow end of a pool. Sure you're in the water, but there's little risk of drowning. You're half spectator, half tactician, tasked with projects that aren't necessarily mission critical. This is something of a double-edged sword, but overall it can be a nice safety blanket knowing the new kid on the block won't also be asked to run the show.
Lastly, an internship brings exposure to new people, ideally in an industry you want to move into. This means developing connections that could prove to be fruitful down the road. Assuming you do a good job and take your role seriously, people will remember the honest person trying to learn a craft, and that can be valuable when graduation day comes.
A Different Option
Have you considered starting your own side hustle small business and being your own boss? It can be a scary thought at first, but it's also a rewarding experience both in the short and long term. You'll gain real-world experience as a strategic thinker and you'll develop a skillset that goes far beyond copier collation settings and lunch runs -- you'll be managing expectations and dealing with customers.
As the decision-maker, you have to think through complexities and solve problems to come away with an outcome that's not just beneficial to you, but tackles a real need for someone else. The experience and portfolio of work created when you're in charge will go much further in an interview later in life than discussing the few times you sat in on a customer call or took part in formatting a proposal.
To boot, being in charge of your operation incentivizes something you're passionate about. Your hard work positively correlates to the amount of money you pull in. Staying late and giving extra energy to customers doesn't just get you a "job well done" sticker; it puts real money in your pocket.
How to Get There
While the problem-solving, customer service experience, responsibility and accountability that come with your own business may all feel like great reasons to do it, that doesn't make it easy. A few things to keep in mind that helped me along the way:
- Pursue a talent and a passion: While you may not have experience running a business around graphic design, if you have a talent and a passion for it, it's going to make things much, much easier. You'll be able to recognize the challenges and pain points your customers have more quickly and your devotion will go deeper than a pure monetary need.
While internships check many of the short term boxes we look at when seeking a summer gig, there are a variety of areas where the experience falls short. Being your own boss will give you the tools you need to be successful long after you're thinking about summer jobs and the journey may very well plant the seeds for your post-grad career. As someone who has taken both paths, the experience I lean on most heavily when talking to prospective employers is the one I had as my own boss.