Intern Insight—Week One on the Internship

As I begin my new journey into my internship with Indiana INTERNnet, I am most excited about creating content that will be useful to other interns and employers. I must reflect and admit that this wasn’t where I thought I would be six months ago, but I am so thankful that this is where I am today. After finally graduating in August 2012, I was ready to embark on my journey of “life after college.” I landed a job with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security after I had interned with them. I was funded by a grant, and found out that I would be losing my job at the end of the year, so I decided to explore other career opportunities. I actually created a profile through the Indiana INTERNnet website and began searching for internships.  I was very excited about applying for the Marketing/Special Events coordinator position and was ecstatic when I received the internship.

As many more college graduates enter the workforce, it is becoming all too common to have difficulty finding jobs. Many of my friends that are graduating email and ask if I have any advice on finding jobs. I tell them the truth—that it’s extremely difficult right now, but there is hope. I recommend the INTERNnet website and explain to them the benefits of internships. This is my fourth internship and I’m extremely excited about the opportunities to come. It’s a new experience to actually be behind the scenes promoting the exact same thing that I am doing.

One of the many rewarding things about internships is that it’s a learning process for all involved. Each intern is different and brings a different perspective to the company. In doing so, everyone learns something new or gains new insight. I’ve created great relationships and references in my past internships, but most importantly I gained real-world work experience that couldn’t have been created elsewhere. I am eager to dive into my position headfirst and ultimately believe that an internship is as much as you put into it. Here’s to making this the best internship yet!

What are your thoughts on internships after graduation?