Why You Should Accept Internships Outside Your Field of Study?

Last updated on August 11th, 2024 at 08:21 pm

Nowadays, graduating from your major is no longer enough to land a solid job. Recruiters are looking for people who are more experienced when it comes to the real world. Where can you get such experience? — internships.

Joining an internship can help you prepare for the corporate world, things that they never taught you in schools and universities. You’d be able to know people, grow your network, and achieve real-life work experience.

However, not all available internship programs are related to your major. Let’s say you majored in Chemistry, but the program you found offers photography; will you take it? Or should you accept it?

This article will help you decide whether you should accept an internship outside your field of study.

The Benefits of Taking an Internship Outside Your Major

An internship program related to your major has a lot of advantages. It can let you practice what you studied and apply what you learned. You’d be able to experience real situations, allowing you to improve your skills.

However, taking an internship outside your field of study also gives you tremendous advantages.

1. More Career Opportunities

After you’ve graduated from your university, you’d be looking for a job. Doing internships with no relation to you significantly increases the opportunities you have when searching for work.

For instance, you’re studying arts majoring in poetry, but interested in a PR company, such as working for your local newspaper. Although they are not directly related, you’d be able to put your writing skills to good use.

Many businesses connect one job to others. This means they’d most likely be interested in you if they saw that you had an internship outside your major. They can utilize your skills.

In the same example, PR companies can use your skills for marketing. You’d be able to create catchy slogans or texts to promote the magazine or some products the company has partnered with.

2. Learn New Skill Sets

You’d master your skills when joining an internship program related to your field of study. You’d feel what it is like to work in that field.

On the other hand, an internship outside your major helps you excel in your career as you learn new skills. You’d be able to incorporate new things that you learn to make your job easier. Perhaps, you’ll be one of the best innovators in the company.

One thing you’d learn when you take an internship is the ability to see the real corporate world. You’d understand more about financial planning and how it can help your personal and career goals.

For instance, if you’re asking yourself, “how much do I need to retire?” you might be able to prepare for it as you have an idea of how to calculate it since you’ve experienced working in a corporate setup.

You can use the new skills you learned to boost your career, becoming one of the best employees once you’ve started working professionally.

3. Strengthens Your Resume

Nowadays, recruiters check various things about you. Aside from reading through your resume, they’ll also look for you on Linkedin. Since you’d be selling yourself to the company you want to work for, you need to solidify your resume.

Strengthening your resume doesn’t only mean you need to use exceptional vocabulary to describe your skills. It should also describe your uniqueness to stand out among the other applicants.

One of the best ways to show yourself to recruiters is to tell them you had experiences outside your field. They’d find you as one of the best candidates as you sell yourself with variety and a strong background.

Suppose you’re applying for a job at an accounting firm, and your internship experience was about PR marketing. In that case, you’d be able to tell them that you can manage to work for both the accounting and marketing departments, especially when discussing the budget for their marketing campaign.

4. Larger Network

Building a network is critical in any career and industry. They’d be able to help you out in the future, especially when you’re already working professionally.

When you take an internship outside your field, you’d be able to meet new people with different skills. Some of them might be good at things you are not interested in but can help a different industry in the future.

You shouldn’t take the power of connections for granted, as you’ll find it helpful in your career. For instance, you’d need a software developer for your company’s marketing drive. If you’ve worked with one during your internship, you’d be able to recommend someone to your boss, saving more time from finding.

They can also be helpful when you start your own business. If you need professionals or even advice, they’d be able to help you.

5. Testing if you’re in the right degree

This is probably one of the most crucial advantages when taking an internship unrelated to your major. We usually study something to secure our future or because of our interests.

However, when you are already taking classes, you might regret it and can’t keep up with the other students and the responsibilities. On the other hand, the internship program you are in can help you decide whether you should pursue the course or shift to a different one.

For instance, you are taking Geometry, but you’re taking an internship related to photography. If you’re having fun with what you do, you might decide to shift your focus.

An internship can help you weigh your options, testing whether you are in the right degree or it’s time for you to change.

Sum Up

Whether it is connected to your major or not, taking an internship is highly beneficial for your career and personal growth. You’d be able to learn new skills, discover new career opportunities, build your resume, expand your network, and ensure you have the right career path.

So, should you accept it? Definitely! It’ll be worth it, and you’ll thank yourself later as you’ve become more professional and experienced in different fields.