Is internship important in job search?

Internships, however, are not just for students.   These days, internships are in high demand by people of many ages and professional levels because they often lead to full-time employment…..

Increasingly, students and professionals alike are finding that internships help them in the job market. Tony, for example, wants to work in the film industry.  While taking some college classes in film production, he secured an internship with a studio that was filming in Michigan.  Even though it was an unpaid internship, he felt it would be worthwhile because of the experience and industry contacts he would gain.  Tony  added his internship work to his resume, and since then has had six paid jobs working as an assistant location manager on movie projects.

A recent CareerBuilder.com survey reported that the majority of employers (59%) who plan to hire interns are likely to hire them for full-time permanent positions.  Mid-level executives are finding that internships can lead them to a job.  For example, Michelle (age 40) transitioned from book publishing to digital media through an unpaid internship.

An internship can benefit you it the following ways:

-Allow you to reality test if a certain area of work would fit you well;

-Provide you with experience and new skills that you can add to your resume;

-Let employers have an extended view of your work to see the benefits of hiring you full time;

-Give you contacts that can lead to job openings;

In a tough economy an internship can give you an upper hand in finding work that fits you God-given design.

If you can't find the right internship through online databases like the ones above, you can use Linkedin.com to search for people who are in jobs you might like to have in the future. Even if you find someone who is a 2nd or 3rd level connection, you can ask for an introduction from your 1st level connections. When you talk with this person, you can explain that you are interested in what they do and wonder if there would be the possibility of an internship at their organization. If they don't have this type of option available, they may be able to refer you to someone who does.