To find an internship you’ve got a couple of options, your friends or family can hook you up, you can find the internship on your own like the professional you’re becoming, or you can admit you still need a bit of help and contact a placement agency. There’s no shame in seeking help because, let’s face it, getting an internship is intimidating and exhausting in any way you do it. But, what is the best way to actually land an internship? Often than not, a placement provider is the best option. A company that has had a long time in the market has more experience and can offer more and better things. Using an agency also makes things more real, reliable, and easy. Sure it has some downsides and not all need their services. However, most of the time, there’s more good than bad.
AGENCIES KNOW THE MARKET AND ARE TRUSTWORTHY
One of the various things that make agency placement good for students is the fact that they’ve been in the industry for a while now. Even if the agency is new, chances are they know the market and they have enough contacts. Their connections with companies within your country, and especially abroad, are strong and trustworthy. The companies they’ve got contracts with have previously worked with interns or are well trained for, if they haven’t, and are likely to offer you a great internship. Not only will you be applying for a place in a quality internship, but the company will guarantee you that placement. You can be at ease because they will get you your dream internship, and you can be sure everything will be legal, in order, and trouble free.
AGENCIES MAKE THINGS EASIER AND OFFER EXTRA THINGS
Agencies specialize in making everything easier for you. To begin with, when doing an internship on your own or having someone else hook you up, you first need to be sure you’ll get placed. After being placed you need to see where you’ll be living, what you’ll be doing, what’s going to be expected of you, and how to act when the time comes. Being placed by an internship agency will help you with these sorts of things. They might not always provide accommodation or other benefits, but they will help you finding them. They will let you know what to expect during the internship, especially if it’s abroad and involves a cultural shock. Most importantly if there’s a problem most agencies have a person where your internship is taking place. Even if they don’t, and your internship isn’t what you were looking for or problems arise, they’ll help.
INCONVENIENCES CAN ARISE, BUT THEY’RE STILL GOOD
Of course, everything can’t be perfect and problems could arise, and here’s where you ask yourself if placement providers are the way to go. You might be in the need of asking yourself, can you deal with the cost and is it worth if you can’t always choose the exact city or company you’ll be interning? If your budget is not enough, and you really want to go to a specific company maybe this wouldn’t be the step for you. However, think about the fact that this might be a turning point in your professional career. If you’re not completely organized to look for an internship yourself, you might blow your opportunity. A company will not only meet your internship expectations, but they will also meet uni’s and future employer’s expectations. They will offer you the best professional building experience.
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO YOUR NEEDS AND DESIRES
So, there’s a lot to think about, right? You need to think about your budget, your stress levels, and the reliability of whatever option you choose. While in the process, consider that having a company doing the placement for you makes things more trustworthy and recognized at a higher level. Applying through a placement provider also helps to save time, getting a quality internship, and extra help, like language courses or cultural introduction. This option is a bit less budget friendly, but there are cheap options in the market. It also helps you meet your university expectations, and will shape you better for the future. An internship agency is not for everyone, but this doesn’t mean that it’s not their best option for all.
*Based on “Why Should I Use an Internship Placement Provider?” by Go Overseas and “Should I use an agency to arrange my internship?” by Internships Down Under.
