I am a strong proponent of internships. Internships are mandatory for the majority of college majors that I am aware of. I fully support these mandatory requirements. It is my belief that it is never too early to apply for an internship and that students should not wait until senior year to “put theory into practice”.
I view internships as a hands-on learning opportunity. A quality internship allows students to apply their classroom knowledge in their chosen field with the guidance and support of an experienced professional. An internship is an opportunity to be challenged academically and professionally. A time to learn more about your strengths and preferences. And after supervising and mentoring 14 interns from 8 institutions in 10 different academic disciplines in the last five years, I believe that an internship is the best time to make career mistakes. (This doesn’t include abuse, theft, or other illegal or unethical acts). Sometimes students learn more from their challenges and failures than their successes. It is important that an internship provides student’s a safe place to land.
Read Full Article by Nicki Sanders, MSW, The Packaged For Success Coach on LinkedIn
