By: MICHELLE KOWALSKI
With graduation looming in the near future, the security of my on-campus job will soon come to an end.
Now the search begins for a full-time job that will pay the bills and provide good health benefits.
As I scour through want ads in newspapers and on the Internet, I realize the value of an internship.
“I can’t say how much value they (internships) are to job-seekers,” said Richard Cox, a career adviser at BYU’s Career Placement Center.
Cox compared them to pure gold, and I agree. Interns are able to learn skills firsthand. They are supervised by those trained in the profession.
As an intern, I worked for Natural Resources News Service in Washington, D.C. I was a junior reporter assigned to cover environmental issues in Florida. My desk was between the bureau chief’s office and one of the reporter’s cubicles. It was a great place to be for four months — I was able to learn as I listened.
Listening to the events in the newsroom taught me more than any class ever could. Classes are important and have their place. They are vital to learning skills and techniques, but an internship allows you to put those skills into practice.
Internships can also provide opportunities for future employment. Many companies are more willing to hire their interns than those who are new to the company. This practice allows the company to already be familiar with the applicant’s skills and personality.
If working for the company you interned for is not a possibility, referrals are also great.
In a closing interview with my bureau chief, we spoke a lot about my future. He gave me some advice on how to be a good journalist and then he told me he would help me get a job in Washington, D.C., if I ever wanted to return.
Organizations usually know about job opportunities at related companies. They can help find jobs and give references to the new employers.
Cox said many students graduate from college and then do not work in the field they studied in college. An internship lets students know beforehand if their major is something they want to be doing after graduation.
I know working for the news service has helped me know what journalism will be like in the real world.
Internships do have their negative sides too. Most internships do not pay and that can be a big sacrifice to struggling students. I know that I had to weigh the decision heavily before I decided to take the internship. One piece of advice I received while trying to make the decision was “Experience will outweigh the cost.”
In my case, it proved to be true.
I am thankful for the opportunity to be an intern, even though Washington, D.C. interns were mocked because of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. It taught me how to apply the skills I’ve learned at BYU. The value of an internship is immeasurable.
Michelle Kowalski is a senior from Wallingford, Conn., majoring in journalism.
