Internships during the semester: how to handle both
By Maddie Gall
Many students in the communications, business or public relations and advertising fields know that it is highly encouraged to gain the most internship experience you can before graduation. Several people wonder if they should have an internship while taking classes and attempt to juggle the two.
While the task may seem daunting, I’ve found that with the right internship and right class schedule, doing both is feasible. Here are my tips for balancing both school and work.
Tip #1: Try to schedule your classes closer together and break your days into “work” and “school” blocks. I recommend taking mostly morning classes and going to your internship in the afternoon.
Tip # 2: Find clothes and shoes that you can wear all day that are comfortable and still appropriate for the workplace. Walking around campus is hard in business clothes but finding pieces that fit your style and are comfortable for walking will help you save time.
Tip #3: Look for internships close to campus or even on campus! Commute length is an important factor in deciding what will work for you.
Tip #4: Some internships will allow you to have a flexible schedule while requiring as few as 10 to 12 hours a week. While it may seem like not enough of a job, the experience will still be valuable to you! Two hours a day may seem short, but you’ll be surprised by how much work you can get done in a short time.
Tip #5: Keep your internship work separate from schoolwork. It can be tempting to study for an upcoming test while at work, but you want to maintain a professional profile and work efficiently on school projects outside of your internship hours.
Tip #6: Be open-minded when looking for internships! You never know what could come of just an interview. I applied for three internships and was able to gain interview experience at all three. Practice is always good. Plus, you might land in an industry that you thought wouldn’t interest you but became your next passion.
With everyone seeming to push work experience but also good grades, the pressure is on to do the most. However, both are feasible and achievable with organization, time management and the right internship.