The skills gained from an internship can give you a competitive edge over your classmates. Working as an intern in your field will advance your skills and give you professional experience. Not to mention, internships can help you determine if you actually like the work that you will be doing in the future. Learning that sooner rather than later is ultimately better in the long run, because you might decide you don’t actually want to do the work required in your chosen career path.
So, what skills do you gain from internships? There are a myriad of answers to this question. There are professional and personal skills gained while completing an internship that are invaluable to improving yourself. But, gaining work experience internationally is especially beneficial and looks great to future employers!
15 Skills You Gain from Internships
Skills gained from an internship can power your future career.
The first day of classes can be intimidating, nerve-racking, challenging, and exciting, and the same goes for starting a new job or even an internship. Fortunately, there are so many fun skills to be gained from an internship abroad that you’ll soon forget how nervous and jittery you were on your first day. However, to stay on track with your internship growth, make sure you take time to write down your goals for your internship before it even begins.
1. Problem-solving skills
There will be problems on the job that will need to be solved. Participating in an internship gives you the experience necessary to spot and understand problems.
Learning to resolve issues is a crucial skill that is invaluable in the workforce. Take customer service specialists, for example. If a customer is upset, it is up to the employees to figure out why the customer is unhappy and how they can be helped.
Navigating your responsibilities and understanding the job itself is crucial to succeeding in any position that deals with problem-solving. Completing problem-solving tasks at your internship is a great opportunity to learn on the job.
2. Decision making skills
Problem-solving involves making decisions. There will be many times when you need to be decisive and confident in your decisions.
Clients and customers need consistency and straight answers. Being vague and confusing will only frustrate and annoy clients.
Gain as much knowledge as you can on your company rules, and keep learning. This way, you can provide the best experience for your clients. The more experience and practice you get in your field, the more often you will be able to make the right decisions.
3. More knowledge about your field
When you collaborate with your superiors and other interns and do real work on the job, you get important insight into your field.
Learning by reading books and attending class is certainly helpful and necessary to succeed in your career. However, nothing beats on-the-job training. You will gain a better understanding of your field and the sector you are in by actually doing the job. This is why internships are so highly encouraged.
If you figure out you do not like the field you are in, after all, you can switch careers without falling behind. Even if you decide you no longer want to pursue this career path, you will still have learned professional skills that will intrigue and impress future employers.
4. Improved communication skills
The business world has its jargon and acronyms that you will need to learn to understand your field better. Working an internship will expose you to the lingo and ways colleagues communicate with each other and their clients or customers.
You have the opportunity to learn how to interact with colleagues, and you will also learn how to communicate and interact with people of various ages and different backgrounds. Not only will you grow professionally, but you’ll grow personally as well when you intern. For instance, you will learn how to best communicate with others verbally and non-verbally, which is a life skill that is always useful.
Here are 8 qualities of a successful intern you should aspire to have
5. Computer skills
You’re sure to pick up some computer skills along the way, even if your internship has nothing to do with tech!
You will most likely strengthen basic computer skills through an internship position. For example, you may have used Microsoft Office’s Excel for basic data entry, but you might be trained to learn new formulas that could help you to be efficient down the road in your career. You may think you have an extensive knowledge of Google Suite, Microsoft Office, or other computer programs, but be willing to learn and expand your computer skills at your internship.
6. Relevant technical or hard skills
Besides the basics, each field has specific technical skills that you’ll need to learn to succeed in your career. Look at doctors, for example. You need to learn how to use certain equipment like the stethoscope, maybe an EKG, a blood pressure monitor, a scalpel, and so on.
Internships are great for learning technical skills because instead of just learning about what you need to do, you actually get to do it and practice.
7. On-the-job training
Scenario training is very helpful for workers in certain fields. If you think it would be helpful to run scenarios at your internship, speak up and ask to shadow your superiors first. Then when you think you have a better understanding, ask to be trained on certain scenarios.
Think of people working in sales. They need to know everything about their product by anticipating what they think their customers need and want to know about it. In this example, you could run scenarios acting as the salesperson while your superior or co-worker acts like a customer. It’s a great way to prepare yourself before doing the actual job.
8. Ability to use feedback to improve
With more and more practice, you start to get a rhythm and find your footing. However, don’t stop there, make sure you get as much feedback as you can. It’s the only way you can improve yourself. Seek out feedback from as many sources as you can and try implementing their suggestions where applicable.
9. International awareness
An internship is the perfect opportunity to gain international work experience.
Internships abroad and within your home country both look great on your resume. However, completing an internship abroad is sure to impress your future employers. You will gain so many skills living and working abroad.
Working abroad will expose you to diverse populations and alternative ways of thinking. This will broaden your horizons personally and professionally.
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10. Networking skills
You cannot escape networking. This is how you get jobs and find out important information in your field.
While working at your internship, chat with your co-workers and customers. Then create professional relationships with them. The more ways you can practice networking the better; get involved with volunteering at events, ask people for informational interviews, or go to conferences and/or career fairs on campus to build your networking skills.
11. Practice using your network to find opportunities
While practicing networking, establish relationships and expand your network. Unfortunately, getting a job nowadays is often all about who you know. You can’t expect to get as many interviews or job offers by simply applying online.
Instead, you need to continuously make connections. Use LinkedIn to stay in touch or offer your contact information to someone you think you connected with, and don’t stop meeting new people. This is also the best way to turn your internship into a full time job offer.
12. Knowledge of workplace culture
Every workplace has its own culture, and interning can give you insight into what you want—and don’t want—in the future.
The office environment is not what you see on “The Office”… or is it? The only way to find out is by going to work!
Internships are great for gaining an understanding of company and industry culture. Your internship can help you decide if the people you are working with are the people you want to be interacting with every business day.
Take the show “Parks and Recreation” for instance. Do you want a boss that challenges and appreciates you like Leslie Knope or would you prefer a more hands-off boss like Ron Swanson? An internship is a great time to figure out how you like working and where you want to go in your career.
13. Time management skills
How long does it take you to write an email? Are you speedy with projects, or are you slow and steady? Do you get overwhelmed with constant interruptions or thrive in a fast-paced environment?
When you complete an internship, you will have a much better understanding of how you are with time management and how you can improve. Make sure you ask your superiors for feedback and tips! They are there to help. And of course, do everything you can to avoid burnout.
14. Teamwork
There is a reason your professors and instructors keep making you do group projects. It’s because working in the real world will involve lots and lots of group work. Learning to work on a team is crucial to building a successful career in any field.
If you don’t work well with your co-workers, this can be a problem and can put a stain on your reputation. Make the effort to get to know your team and work on communicating with each person. Practicing this at your internship will help you develop valuable skills that most (if not all) employers are looking for.
15. Curiosity
Learn, grow, and stay curious. You’ll set yourself up for success in any career!
Show your enthusiasm at work by staying curious. Ask questions often, offer help, and show your interest in your job, the people you work with, and the customers you serve. People love working with people who are passionate and excited about their work.
Exposing yourself to a new environment at an internship will give you many opportunities to learn. Keep up that excitement about learning and bring it with you to your next job and beyond.
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Your internship abroad will build your list of valuable skills
So, what skills can be gained from an internship? The list can go on and on. By getting an internship you will learn to solve problems, communicate with customers or clients, develop networking techniques, and more. Working in “the real world” may be intimidating at first, but internships are generally safer environments where you can test out your field firsthand and gain invaluable skills.
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