Why would I take an internship that doesn’t pay anything?

Photo of a Hello My Name Is badge with Intern written on it
Employment Preparation,

Throughout your college career, you most likely will hear about various opportunities regarding internships. You probably know that an internship is a temporary position within a company that focuses on on-the-job training rather than simply being another job. Perhaps you are also aware that there are both paid and unpaid internships. But then you may ask yourself, “Why would I take an internship that doesn’t pay anything?”

The answer to that is that internships offer so much more than simply a potential paycheck; they can offer

  • On-the-job Experience – Many people who are in college do not realize exactly how valuable experience is. By successfully completely an internship, you are essentially telling employers that you are not only willing to learn, but also able to successfully pick up numerous skills and apply them successfully.
  • The Internship Experience – If you are fortunate enough to secure an internship in your field, then you have taken a key step in getting involved in your own future. Many students end up switching majors throughout the course of their academic career, and this is an excellent opportunity for you to decide whether the field that you are pursuing is one that you want to be in.
  • Networking – By working in some way at a company, you will undoubtedly make new connections. Some of these connections may be key in getting you a job at the current company you are interning at, or even perhaps in a different sphere through a letter of reference. These are valuable connections that may assist you in your future goals and as such they are worth establishing.

The Career Services Team here at St. Petersburg College is here to help you find these worthwhile internships and also help you be able to successfully apply for them, and they are more than willing to lend you any assistance that you may need on your journey.

We strongly recommend that any interested students apply here at this link https://web.spcollege.edu/survey/10807, and fully fill out the internship application survey to see what options we have available for you.

For more information, contact Marci Martinez, Career Specialist at 727-791-5951 or martinez.marcia@spcollege.edu.

You can also follow us on Twitter at #careerspc.