5 reasons why you should take your internship seriously

Most higher education institution courses have compulsory internship experience for students during the breaks and or the academic year, more than half of the time, students are expected to fill report forms detailing their experiences and some even defend their internships. Now because the internships are compulsory, some students do not take them seriously, falsify reports and some skip the internships altogether.

Apart from the fact that it is a coursework and an ‘A’ or ‘B’ would really boost your C.G.P.A, we’ve discovered some other important reasons why you should take your internships seriously.

1. Gives you practical experience: More than half of the time, an internship is your first foray into the realities of your field of study and the job market. Internships complement all the theoretical work you’re learning at school with real life practical training and this completes your learning process. You gain knowledge and smart skill sets during your internship that you can sometimes use to start your own business, offer freelance services and or volunteer for activities in and out of school.
2. Future job opportunities: There have been thousand of cases where students are offered job opportunities by the companies they interned in after their studies because of how well they performed during their internships. Most companies also offer good recommendation letters that can get you that dream job after school.
3. Increased network/connections: Internships expand your network in your career field, right now you might feel you don’t really need them because you’re still in school, but they are very important for your future especially when you need some resources for projects or during your job hunt after school.
4. Helps you decide on a career choice: Due to the exposure internships give students on the job market reality of your course of study, you can decide on what you really want to do in future. You understand better what would be expected of you when you start working and gain insights on how things run/how to start your own business and so much more. It also helps you know what aspect of your course you want to focus on (For courses like Mass communication where you have to choose a major (Print journalism, Broadcast or PR and Advertising) in your 3rd/final year)
5. Counts as a work experience: Yes, internships fill in the gap of your much-needed experience in the CV, rarely will you see job ads that don’t require some years of experience or the other. Most companies want people who have an idea of what the position entails and your internship experience really comes in handy here.

At FCMB Flexx, we offer our Flexxers internship and learning opportunities, last year, 5 fresh graduates got the opportunity to intern at leading companies in the country through our FCMB #Flexxtern contest, watch their stories here. To get exclusive access to the FCMB #Flexxtern contest, open your Flexx account here now.