Congratulations on deciding to further your education and earn a college degree! Now it’s time to decide which school and program are the right fit for you and your career goals.
One thing you may want to consider as you choose a college is whether there is an externship experience that you can complete while earning your degree. An externship is a chance to work in the real world while still in school and has many benefits for you and your career. Keep reading to find out our top externship benefits!
Gain Valuable Experience
The first benefit to completing an externship while in your college degree program is that it allows you to gain valuable, real-world experience in your chosen career field. Gaining the essential knowledge that you will need when you begin your career is great, but getting actual experience can take you to the next level, giving you a head start when applying for jobs. If an employer has a choice between a candidate who has real-world experience and one who does not, they are more likely to choose the person with experience.
Completing an externship and gaining experience are great ways to build your resume. You can add this experience, specific tasks you completed, and any other skills you learned while at your externship to your resume.
While you are enrolled in college and doing your externship, you can also learn which type of organization you would like to work for after graduation. Maybe you thought you wanted to work for a hospital but realize that a doctor’s office will work better for you. Or maybe you wanted to work for a public company, but now you feel like a nonprofit would be a better fit. Getting on-the-job experience in your externship allows you to get a feel for the organization’s work culture to determine which aligns best with you and your needs.
Develop Your Skills
Another benefit of an externship experience is that it allows you to practice the hands-on skills you have learned in the classroom and labs. Applying the knowledge you have acquired to a real work environment can set you up for success in your career. The more practice you get at something, the better you will be, so getting additional practice in the real world will increase your skill set.
You will have the chance to develop soft skills like communication, teamwork, time management, and more while completing your externship. These soft skills are just as important as the hard skills you learn for your job, and many employers look for these soft skills when interviewing candidates in the hiring process. in addition to soft skills, you can also build confidence in yourself and your skills that will help you excel when starting your career.
Make Professional Connections
A third benefit of attending a college degree program that includes an externship is that it allows you to begin making professional connections, even while you are still in school. Building positive relationships with people at your externship and potential employers helps you create a network that will be valuable when it comes time to apply for jobs.
As you complete your externship and build your professional network, you can get your foot in the door with local organizations and potential employers. If you have a positive externship experience and would love to work for the company, let them know and keep an eye out for any job openings that arise.
At an externship, you have the opportunity to find a mentor that can help you in your career. Maybe there is someone further along that can give you advice and guidance that could be your mentor. Additionally, you can get feedback from real professionals in the field to help you perfect your craft. Always remember to ask for references and recommendations from those at your externship, as these will come in handy when job searching.
Get Started With East Ohio
Are you ready to start your path to a great career? At East Ohio, we have just what you need with externships, student support, career services, and caring instructors. Explore our college degree programs and contact us today to get started!