Internships: If You Want to Fetch Coffee all Day, Work at Starbucks

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Not all internships require you to serve coffee!
Your school has most likely pushed the importance of getting an internship to you about 400 times since you first started attending. Like any kid responding to a parent over soliciting a request we zone these attempts to get through to us out and stay contempt with our summer waitressing job. Having a job is important, of course, but having a job that relates to your future, well that’s even more important. The kid who just walked out of the interview room before you who has two internships under his belt and a page and a half of references from those internships has just made your life a little more complicated.

Let’s look at some of the reasons students don’t obtain internships. “All you end up doing is getting coffee and filing papers.” I don’t blame you! In my internship search experience I have come across many jobs that basically have that in their job description. But I have also come across just as many that have firsthand beneficial experiences in their job descriptions. If you don’t believe me, go to www.collegecentral.com now and I can guarantee you find posts like that.

Another concern of ours is not all internships pay you. Again, being a broke college student, this is a big concern of mine as well. But I have taken an internship this summer at an advertising company that will not be paying me. Instead, I will be profiting through the priceless experience I will be receiving. An experience I could never receive while being in a classroom that I pay money to attend.

When searching for an internship you want to look for some key factors. First is atmosphere. Choose a company with great communication and enthusiasm of your services. This can easily be seen during the beginning contact stage. Secondly, growth. An internship is the best opportunity to get your foot in at a company. Look for possible growth opportunities even after you have completed your internship. Last but most importantly, experience. Taking an internship that puts you right into the action, having you make key decisions about the company, letting you take the wheel at times, is far more important than one that has you licking envelopes all day.

About

A Junior at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, David is studying Marketing and Advertising. He is the incoming president of the American Advertising Federation and a VP of Fundraising for the American Marketing Association. His passion for marketing is fueled from his ingenuity and his success is driven from his audaciousness. Though young in the corporate world, David's desire for new experiences and enthusiasm is viewed as a unique asset, and has given him an edge.

2 Comments on “Internships: If You Want to Fetch Coffee all Day, Work at Starbucks”

  1. Dave – very good point! College students should not worry about the dollars to start, but more about “the experience”. I could not agree more!!

  2. Two words: Paid internship. They’re glorious together, not to mention obtainable. Not all students have the luxury of being able to be carefree in regards to money during their “broke college student” days. Working for experience AND minimum wage? Now that’s an internship (which I obtained 4 years ago, was asked to stay full time after 5 months, and am still with that same company today)!