Getting the Job

About the Job

Daily Activity Log

Career Advice

Internship Value

A Photo Tour

 

Section 5.0 – Internship Value

After working at Freddie Mac as an intern, I now understand why students are willing to take unpaid internships. The experience of working in a corporate setting while still in school is invaluable. There are lessons that one can learn on the job that cannot be taught in the classroom. As I look back on this summer, I see two major benefits to an internship. The first is extending and applying the technological knowledge learned on campus. During my internship, I was able to use the technical skills I learned in the classroom in a real world setting. Additionally, I also acquired new skills as a result of working with others. Much like a doctor is a practitioner of medicine and is continually learning and perfecting his or her profession, an IT employee is always learning and fine-tuning skills. Each time a person performs a task, it increases the ability to perform it better and more efficiently than before. An internship is a great place to start that ongoing learning process.

The second major benefit to an internship is working in a real world corporate environment. After talking to some of the new college hires at Freddie Mac, most agreed that the biggest shock after graduation is getting accustomed to the real world and corporate culture. Learning how a large corporation operates and, more importantly, how it evaluates its employees can help in planning a successful career.

Although it takes much longer than a few months to learn all that is necessary to be successful in the corporate world, a summer internship was a worthwhile and valuable experience to begin this process. The lessons learned will pay off in the future.