• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

You are here: Home / Career / Jobs & Internships / 5 Reasons to Ditch Your Summer Job for an Internship

5 Reasons to Ditch Your Summer Job for an Internship

May 30, 2016 //  by Kelly Livingston

Shares9FacebookTweet

Summer equals vegging out on the couch for days. Students also need jobs though, and sometimes that cashier gig at Publix feels easier than a marketing internship that you’ll likely get paid next to nothing for, even though you need the experience. The real trick comes with deciding between the two options. Both jobs and internships have their benefits, but how do you choose? Ringing up customers and bagging groceries probably comes with a bit less grunt work than the coffee runs you’ll be going on for the department head at a marketing firm, but an internship sets you up for your future. Isn’t that what college is all about?

1. Learn from coffee runs and emails and meetings (Oh My!)

giphy.com
giphy.com

Internships hold a place in the collegiate life cycle that makes them basically a rite of passage. Why? They  force you to start at the very bottom in a company, which yes, means typing an endless series of notes and emails for the lawyers at the firm you’ve holed up in for the summer. But added to the value held in those low-level, sometimes irritating tasks, you get the chance to really educate yourself on what it looks like to work in a given field. “An internship is generally more career-focused while a job is more money-focused. [An internship] is going to give you the opportunity to learn,” Jennifer Jones, UF Assistant Professor of Nonprofit Management and Leadership said.

2. Take the VIP Pass

giphy.com
giphy.com

You know when you get to go backstage at a concert or a play and you see the costume changes, stage directions and general internal structure of the whole production? That’s what an internship looks like. “It allows you to see the inner workings of an organization,” Jones said. “[Interns] get a lot of grunt work but there’s value in that kind of work.” In the same day you might talk to the director of marketing, the vice president of organizational operations and a factory worker on the ground floor. Taking the time to talk employees in every department, on every level, gives you a little glimpse into what each job looks like from the inside. This will come in handy when you need to decide between an entry level administrative job and a position in the communications department of the manufacturing company you have your eye on for your post-grad career starter.

3. Don’t Get Burned by Inexperience (Only You Can Prevent Wildfires)

giphy.com
giphy.com

College helps us to prepare for the terrible “real world” we’ve heard about our whole lives. Internships push this process along by building skill sets. An internship can be a bit of a baptism by fire where you’re expected to figure it out as you go, but that experience keeps you from getting burned later on in your future career. Jones said, “If you don’t give yourself opportunities to try to figure it out, when you get into your first career job then you’ll feel overwhelmed and you’ll be scared.” Interning with a company builds your skillset takes the heart pounding nervousness of your first post-grad job and replaces it with your own brand of fierce confidence.

4. Take It for a Test Drive

giphy.com
giphy.com

Don’t you want to be a jack of all trades? An internship is almost like taking a test drive with your future career. “Internships are valuable because they allow you to make an educated decision about what you hope to do post-graduation,” UF senior Sonata Valaitis said.  “You have the option to try something completely new and different each year and come to an understanding of the career options in your field.” Collegiate life allows you the great luxury of experimenting with your life. “You can try things out,” Jones said. “You can do an internship in fundraising even if you never want to work in fundraising.” Taking on an internship is like starting a new relationship. Casually “date” to get to know the job requirements. Who knows? You might find out it’s right for you and put a ring on it.

5. Weave a Tangled Web

giphy.com
giphy.com

People build careers on connections. More often than not, the ties which help build careers are weak ties, the people you met once at a work function or who you interned for in college that give you the big break you need to be successful. “You can establish a relationship with a company you’d like to work for, which can lead to job opportunities later on,” Valaitis said. “It’s exciting to be able to work with professionals who have achieved your goals and to learn from them.” Taking on an internship surrounds you with people who work in your field, people who might someday give you the big job you’ve been looking for. So build your career by thinking long term. “The internship is playing the long game,” Jones said. “An internship sets you up for the future. The longer you plan, the better.”

Shares9FacebookTweet

Filed Under: Career How to Get an Internship How to Study for a Test Jobs & Internships

About Kelly Livingston

Kelly is a senior at the University of Florida majoring in English and Anthropology. She is highly prone to feminist rants and has an unhealthy obsession with books.

You May Also Like

Creative and Logical: 10 STEM Fields That Make the Best of Both Worlds

internship finder

The 10 Best Websites for Internships

cake

A Look into Laila Maali’s Journey at the Givelight Foundation

Gainesville Internships

10 Popular Internships Up for Grabs in Gainesville for UF Students

boss

The Brightside of Being Judged: Surviving Your Next Performance Review

Barcelona Birds Eye View

Paid Internships Abroad: Five Tips To Stand Out From Real Students

courtroom

CM’s Guide to Working at a Non-Profit Law Firm

resume styles

College Magazine’s Guide to Resume Styles for Landing the Job

corporate

7 Insider Tips on How to Climb the Corporate Ladder

career development

How Your College Career Center Can Land You a Job During COVID-19

how to become a software engineer

College Magazine’s Guide to Becoming a Software Engineer

10 Tips and Tricks to Help You Find a Paid Summer Internship

Overview of three people at a desk working

Work in the Way? 10 Guilt-Free Reasons To Leave Your Job

10 Office Ethics Commandments That Apply to Daily Life

10 Ways to Get Closer to Finding the Internship of Your Dreams

how to quit a job

Don’t Be THAT Employee: How to Quit a Job the Right Way

How to Ask for a Raise Without Sounding Rude AF

Finance Managers

Become the Next Warren Buffett: CM’s Guide to Portfolio Management

business cards

How to Make Business Cards Too Pretty to Toss Out

peace corps

Top 10 Well-Kept Secrets to Succeeding in the Peace Corps

15 Things to Know Before Your Next Phone Interview

online portfolio

10 Steps to Building an Impressive Online Portfolio in 2020

starting a side hustle

Starting a Side Hustle in College: Five Steps You Need to Take

a computer with code on the screen

College Magazine’s Guide to the Information Science Major

Previous Post: « How to be Your Professor’s BFF and Snag a Killer Letter of Rec
Next Post: Pulliam Journalism Fellowship »

Primary Sidebar



Trending Posts

internship finder
181

The 10 Best Websites for Internships

dancing dreams
84

Saying Goodbye to My Dreams of Dancing

bookstack
34

Adding Diverse Stories to Your Shelves: 10 Books by BIPOC Authors

ucla royce
22

10 Resources All Student Artists at UCLA Should Know About

10

Top 10 Covid-19 Safe Spots to Explore Near UCLA

Featured Chapter: St. John’s University

Footer

logo

College Magazine is the national daily guide to campus life. Our articles for college students feature university rankings of U.S. colleges, college guides, academic advice, college prep, career advice, student health and collegiate dating tips.

Written by students for students, by a team of journalists from universities nationwide, we’re on the pulse of the college experience.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

Majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

Intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

Money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

Travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

Shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

Copyright © 2021 College Magazine · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.