Satisfaction guaranteed:The benefits of internship programs for students and employers

Internships have been growing in popularity worldwide, and many companies now offer internship programs, especially to post-secondary students.

To students, these programs can bridge the gap between their in-class learning and real-world experience. However, internships also provide many benefits to the employers that offer them.

Benefits to students

The most obvious benefit to students is the higher chance of employment after completing an internship. The companies that provide internships often use these programs as pools of potential employees and are more likely to hire students who have already proven themselves in the workplace compared to unknown applicants. Internships also often lead to higher starting salaries for new employees.

Students can also use internships to test their compatibility with their chosen field. While interning at a company, they can see whether or not they enjoy what they do. This way, they can still gain work experience while not being tied down to the company through full employment.

Internships can also lead students down new career paths they had not previously considered. Additionally, through internships, students can develop a list of contacts in the field which may be very valuable to them later.

At the same time, if a student chooses to continue in the same field they previously interned in, their experience gives them more practical knowledge and skills to perform better in a full-time job. They also tend to have more confidence in their abilities since they have already worked in the field.

Benefits to employers

Internships are also are of great value to the companies that provide them. In the same way that students can test potential career paths, companies can use internships to test which students may be a good fit for future full-time employment.

While companies often use internships as hiring pools, they are under no obligation to hire any interns if they are not a good fit. In this way, internships are low in risk as companies are not tied to the interns they take on.

Internships are also relatively cost-effective. Interns are often paid less than full-time workers and receive different benefits than them.

At the same time, interns still provide high-quality work for the company, especially student interns who are in the process of studying the field they are interning in. This education provides the interns with specialized knowledge that directly benefits the companies they work for.

While interns complete work and have real responsibilities in a company, their workplaces often give themlower-level routine tasks. This allows the interns to get a feel for the job and the associated responsibilities without being overwhelmed. Additionally, since interns are handling these tasks, full-time employees can focus on more critical activities that they might otherwise not have had time for.

Internship programs are mutually beneficial for interns and employers. They are a great way for both parties to test how well they fit and provide numerous other benefits. Business owners looking for a more straightforward, relatively low-risk and cost-effective hiring process might consider implementing internship programs.