Why Does Everyone Make a Big Deal About Internships?

By Christina Ripley

Interns: they have a reputation for working long hours for little or no pay, completing tedious projects, receiving limited recognition for their labors and being degraded by upper level management. Before I started interning, I always imagined that internships were similar to the portrayal in “The Devil Wears Prada.” I was terrified that I would be spending my days refilling the coffee pots while my boss rattled off impossible tasks and treated my desk as her own personal coat closet.

Why is there so much emphasis put on internships? After all, they are optional and not required coursework for Purdue Liberal Arts students. Who in their right mind would voluntarily compete for the job that is certifiably the lowest rung on the career ladder?

The answer is simple (and a little clichéd). You’ve got to start at the bottom if you want to make it to the top! Advanced education can only take you so far, especially if you are a Liberal Arts student. Businesses are eager to hire applicants that already have job experience within their field of study. Internships are irrefutable proof that you have applied your knowledge and skills within a real world career situation. They also give you a chance to develop your professional skills, increase your business contacts and help you transition from academia to the working world. Today’s competitive economy makes it more important than ever before for undergraduate students to complete at least one internship as a undergraduate so that their resume will be considered competitive.

My first internship was during the summer of 2009 for the architecture company A2SO4 located in downtown Indianapolis. I wrote content for their Communications department. Previously, the only professional experience I had was working as a lifeguard during high school. At A2SO4, I was expected to dress in business casual attire, attend staff meetings and collaborate with other employees in the office on various projects. It was a completely new experience for me, and I was pretty nervous for most of the time I was employed there. But, I am thankful for everything I learned because the experience opened numerous doors over the past 2 years.


Check out this article posted on Careerbuilder.com if you are still curious about the rationale behind becoming an intern.