To Be or Not to Be a Graduate Intern?

Before taking up that graduate internship, take some time to refect on these pros and cons.

If you missed the chance to complete an internship while you were stll in school, or are stll unsure about where you should go afer graduaton, a graduate internship could be for you.

Afer all, completng a graduate internship in the company or industry you hope to launch your career in is a valid strategy for working towards a permanent positon. Furthermore, it’s also an excellent chance for you to pick up new skills and realign your career goals – especially if you’re looking to enter a sector you have no experience in.

But before you decide to take this step, make sure you consider these pros and cons! Why you should do it

PROS

1. To get your foot in the door An internship can be used as part of a long-term strategy to get into the company you want to work in – apply as a graduate intern and give the role your all to make an exceptonal impression with your employer. If your manager likes you, you may get an ofer for a full-tme positon at the end!

But even if it doesn’t work out, the experience will stll look great on your resume, and you can use it as a stepping stone to explore opportunites with other frms in the same industry. 2. To expand your professional network Take this golden opportunity to grow your professional network. During an internship, you’ll get to work alongside professionals in the industry you’re interested in, and you might even get the chance to make them personal friends. This can beneft you in the future!

Put the best version of yourself forward during company or ofce events; someone you’ve introduced yourself to may be looking for a person to fll a full-tme role in their department – you never know! Get yourself on the radar and leave a positve lastng impression.

3. To get insider insights If you’re stll trying to fgure out which roles in the industry match your personality and skills the best, a graduate internship can be very useful for gaining valuable insights.

It’s also a great way to learn about the inner workings of the organisaton and grasp what’s expected of the diferent roles there.

As an intern, you can leverage on the resources available and speak to your assigned mentor or manager to learn more about the sector and business. This can go a long way in helping you make an informed decision regarding your planned career path. 4. To bulk up your resume If you didn’t spend enough tme on extracurricular actvites or gathering other work experience that can help reinforce your resume with relevant points while you were stll in school, it’s not too late to start afer you graduate.

An internship is the perfect way to develop the required skills and gain the necessary experience to make your resume atractve to recruiters. As the saying goes, it’s beter to be late than never!

Things to consider CONS

1. The pay It’s no secret that as an intern, you’ll be paid signifcantly less than your peers who hold permanent jobs. So if you have signifcant fnancial obligatons, it may not be a good idea to pursue one.

However, if you truly need the additonal experience, don’t let this discourage you. Afer all, it’s a good investment in your future career!

2. The role It’s unlikely for your role as an intern to be as focused and specifc as that of a graduate recruit in a training programme. Instead, you’ll be given a variety of tasks that seem insignifcant, and you may fnd it difcult to develop key industry skills.

On the other hand, you can use this as an opportunity to showcase your initatve by asking for higherlevel responsibilites that’ll also help you grow professionally. More than that, it can improve your chances of being ofered a permanent role at the company.