Internships: Are They Necessary?

   Internships are experiences that are beyond shadowing since they are more hands-on.  It is like testing the waters of the field or career that you are considering.  There are many benefits, including:
1. Learning new skills, techniques, and knowledge
2. Applying your own skills and what you have learned in classes into the workplace/ real world
3. Making connections/networking (eg. for grad school or a job)
4. Experience - understanding if you really want to do that career in the future
5. Experience - If you are doing it at a university, for example, then you would already know the environment and see for yourself if you want to go there for college/grad school/work. 
6. Experience - It is an asset on your resume.
7. Self-discovery - understanding your strengths, weaknesses, and interests at a greater level
8. (Optional) Fun
9. (Optional) Paid [Internships can be paid or non-paid.]
10. (Optional) Challenges - You are forced to think.
11. (Optional) Get credit for it in your college/university.  Some universities actually require internship units.
12. (Optional) Pride for the work you have done and the competition you may have faced to get the internship.

Warning: Internships do not always turn out to be pleasant or satisfactory for some people.  It may be because of the workplace atmosphere, the boss, the lack of mentorship, the lack or abundance of challenges, the unsatisfaction with the given benefits [of the company/program], or simply because you found out that the career does not fit your true interests. 

But it is important to evaluate your experience.  One bad experience should not discourage you easily from your dream career.  You may consider doing another internship at another company or institution.

During my senior year of high school, I worked as an intern journalist for the town newspaper.  It was much work, little pay, and many deadlines.  It has discouraged me from pursuing medical journalism, which is fine, because I have realized I enjoy research more.  Also, I like helping people more directly, and I still love writing, but I would like to write for leisure instead of being constantly under pressure.  I have learned skills, such as photography, journalistic writing, and interviewing - being the interviewer.  I never thought I would do journalism again.  But I was wrong.  For a year, I was the co-editor of a publication at my university; the next year, I was the editor of another.  Another benefit, by the way, back then as an intern journalist, was that I got to see movies for free.

For now, I have been doing internships in scientific research during my summers.  During the spring, I had to apply to many at a time, because I was competing against hundreds of other applicants for those programs.  Having experience from my first internship - yes, I had to learn many things the hard way - helped me get the second internship.  I am really looking forward to it and hope that it will help me in my education and future career.