At Rolify, we have been running a paid internship program for more than 4 years continuously . As a mentor on that program, I had the opportunity to work with over 30 young people from different places, different ages, previous experience, level of knowledge… Some of them are on the cover of this blog, as well as the skills they said they perfected during the internship. Despite all the differences that adorn them, they had one thing in common, the desire to learn and openness to the new and unknown .
This is exactly one of the key things for your professional development – curiosity . Unlike the famous saying that curiosity killed the cat, in this case, and in many other cases, curiosity is crucial in order to acquire new knowledge and experiences . Leaving the comfort zone is not pleasant for most, but the feeling that comes after taking the first step is encouraging and motivating .
How practice contributes to the development of skills and learning new ones
Practice is the thread that connects the theoretical knowledge acquired during schooling and the practical skills needed in the labor market. Through practice, young people get the opportunity to face real challenges and tasks , which contributes to their comprehensive development, improves their understanding and ability to solve problems.
Each industry and job requires specific skills. Internship provides an opportunity to develop those skills through daily tasks and projects. For example, an IT intern may work on software development, while a marketing intern may be involved in creating campaigns. These specific activities enable learning and developing skills in a specific area.
Developing skills is also necessary because an increasing number of companies are turning to the Skills First approach in hiring and evaluating employees. Formal education still plays an important role, but far more attention is paid to concrete skills. Although practice is not the only way to acquire or improve them, it is certainly the most important because we learn exactly those that are in demand on the market and we have the company’s confirmation that we have completed an internship with them. Later, when we apply for a job, it will be a much better reference than self-study at home.
What I haven’t seen highlighted anywhere so far (I’m not saying it doesn’t exist, let me know if you have a counter argument :D) is the importance of learning basic business skills , regardless of the area from which practice is carried out. Writing an official email, formatting a word document, editing an Excel table… Most of these “basic” things require a large number of positions that you can perform, employers take them for granted, and young people have nowhere to learn them. So, advice for (future) interns – ask your mentors to show you this and give you specific advice .
Acquisition of professional competences and networking
Through practice, young people gain insight into professional standards and expectations. We learn how to manage time, work under pressure and communicate effectively with colleagues and clients. These competencies are crucial for success in any field and cannot be fully learned through theory, that is, through formal education – although it gives us the basis for further upgrading.
During the internship, young people have the opportunity to build a professional network of contacts. This includes mentors, peers and other industry professionals. The better we present ourselves and connect with more people, the better prospects we have for future career opportunities, referrals and further professional development.
Developing Soft Skills and getting to know the industry
In addition to technical skills, practice significantly contributes to the development of the so-called soft skills . This includes:
- communication,
- team work,
- conflict resolution,
- adaptability i
- emotional intelligence.
These skills are often crucial for career advancement, as they enable effective collaboration and leadership.
Also, practice allows young people to get to know the specifics of the industry in which they want to work . This includes understanding market trends, competition, as well as internal processes within companies. This experience is invaluable for planning your future career and making informed decisions.
Confidence
One of my favorite things, as someone who works with young people, is the change I see after a few months of working with them. This change is mostly expressed through the self-confidence and independence that interns show. Although at first it may seem like something abstract, it leads to much better results in your work.
Through working on real projects and tasks, young people who are at the beginning of their career gain confidence and develop a sense of autonomy . Every successfully completed task or solved problem will contribute to a feeling of confidence in one’s own abilities . Also, from every mistake we make, we will learn something new and be better prepared next time. Therefore, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, because that is an indication that you have tried something. It is only important that you learn from those mistakes and learn something new, so that they are not repeated.
I hope that this overview gave you a useful insight into what you should expect from an internship and motivated you to look for an opportunity that will push you out of your comfort zone and contribute to your development – we certainly have plenty of them at Rolify.
If you have questions about any of the topics I covered in this article, write to me in the comments and I’ll be happy to answer them!
Source: rolify.com
