Post-high school represents some of the most formative years of a student that will dictate their values in the future. Students can spend this time in many different ways, including considering a short-term internship. High school is the perfect time to start thinking about the future, and start planning your college major. Hence, opting for a short- term internship represents a unique and innovative manner to plan your years ahead.
1. Real World Exposure
In high school, the core focus is to gain as much academic knowledge as possible. Real world exposure extends beyond academic knowledge. It involves many aspects such as working in teams, solving problems independently, and resolving conflicts. An internship offers this golden opportunity to students.
A short-term internship enables students to break through their comfort zones, allowing them to use their strengths as well as developing a whole new perspective of life. An internship in any industry would provide students with exposure in team work, critical thinking, time management, dealing with customers as well as improving your inter-personal skills. Thus, this provides a perfect platform for students to transition from school life to university life.
2. Identify Your Interest
It is important for high school students to have a plan and know where their interest lies, especially in selecting a college major. Students who have completed high school can invest their time to discover their strengths and to gain a higher degree of self-awareness. This would enable them to make better decisions regarding their future.
A short-term internship would help students to discover their interest in terms of the things they like doing. A student may have studied accounting in high-school but may discover during their internship that they dislike certain areas of accounting (for example recording transactions, cash collection, etc). Thus, this would help the student to select an appropriate college major that fits with his or her interest.
3. Character Building
Character building is acquiring a greater level of endurance that strengthens a person’s character. Character building is a life-long journey and students are already exposed to it in high school. All those camps, sports day and fundraising drives organized by students are examples of character building in school.
In a short-term internship, the character building takes on new forms and exposes students to new situations. In an internship, employers are increasingly incorporating community development exercise into their internship structure. This would include reaching out to the under-privilege and organizing events and projects with them. This would provide high school students with a platform to build character, empathy, social and emotional intelligence.
4. Networking
Networking is powerful not just for the present but also for the future. It can be the difference between getting a good job and a great job. However, few may realize the importance of networking at high school level. It is never too early to start networking and a high school student should invest the time to develop a large network of diverse personnel. It is often the case that others can see our strengths better and this is where the power of having a large network lies.
A short-term internship can offer this chance. Internships provide the opportunity to attend meetings and events. By interacting with professionals, high school students will gain new connections, learn how to communicate in a professional environment and develop a broader view of life. A bonus point is that an Internship can even provide a high school student with a professional mentor. This would be an invaluable resource that can guide the student through critical decisions.
5. Resume Building
It is never too early to start building your resume. Without a solid resume, it may be tough to be considered for high-profile positions upon graduation. Gaining vital work experience (even as a student intern) can put you miles ahead from the rest of the pack. An internship is not just the chance of earning a bit of money or increasing your network, but also a chance to learn business and life skills.
In today’s competitive world, investing in building a solid resume even from high school can propel a student to greater heights in the future.
