Internships and volunteer work can be tremendous opportunities for professional growth, but they can also be huge investments of time that offer little in the way of self-enrichment. Stuffing envelopes for a law office all summer or filing papers for a local charity once a month may serve an important purpose for the organization, but it probably won’t do much to advance your marketability in the workplace. Mark Morek, a director for The Carmon Group recruiting and staffing firm in Independence, offers the following pointers on how to get the most out of internships and volunteer work.
“A college internship is extremely important for a college student,” Morek says. The right placement can provide valuable experience and a wealth of contacts, and that, according to Morek, is why making the right decision is critical. He therefore poses three questions for students to consider when they evaluate different opportunities.
- What is the relevance of the company to your course of study? Interning with a professional sports team may be an appealing option, but it probably isn’t the best choice if your career plans are completely unrelated. The real purpose of an internship, Morek says, is to explore an intended career path and to develop real-world skills you can apply in the workplace.
- What is the company’s reputation? According to Morek, where a student does an internship makes a difference. “I think a larger, more well-known company like a GE or Parker Hannifin speaks volumes to the intern’s potential and ability,” he says.
- And finally, What opportunities are there within the company? Determine as best you can what the day-to-day responsibilities of the internship will be. Will you be given meaningful projects that allow you to develop new skills and relationships, or will you be relegated to running errands and fetching coffee? Morek also advises students to consider long-term opportunities within the company. “What percentage of interns does that company typically hire from their intern program? Also, what type of succession plan does the company have? Do they typically hire from within or bring in talent from the outside?”
Volunteer work is another great avenue for professional growth. The right position with the right organization can provide the opportunity to gain worthwhile experience while supporting a worthwhile cause, and it might even be a way to get your foot inside a prospective employer’s door. Morek, however, cautions against volunteering for the wrong reasons.
“The key to successfully utilizing networking in conjunction with volunteering is to find something that you truly believe in and that a prospective company is involved with.” When you volunteer for an organization you genuinely support, you have greater motivation and are much more likely to excel.
Published by the Cleveland Plain Dealer
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