There are different paths to acquiring professional experiences in your desired field. You can do some volunteering or if you want something more serious, you can apply for an internship. You need minimal or no-experience to be able to volunteer or intern in most industries, but of course the more you know, the better. Also, enrolling in them is fairly easy and will help you land a better entry-level job when the time comes. Now, let’s learn a bit more about them.
Volunteering:
One great way to get your hands dirty, is by volunteering. Although we said it isn’t as serious as an internship, it involves a lot of hard work. When organizations (whether enterprises, or non-profit ones) take on volunteers, it means they need the help, and they need it fast.
Volunteering will most likely have you doing a lot of the tedious work, and while this sounds boring, it is where you will learn the most -specially about processes. Another common area for volunteering is customer service, whether it’s directing people to a room or talking them through a process, you are learning one of the most important skills: being there for your client.
Another perk of volunteering -which might not sound like a perk to you- is that you’re working for free when no one asked you to. This shows your commitment to a project and to your personal goals. It also shows how hard you are willing to work for something you care about.
Internships
Internships can be both paid and unpaid, but the unpaid ones are not the same as volunteering. Internships are more serious, as you have a more fixed schedule, clearly defined tasks completely related to you are of interest, and you are actually working to fulfill the company’s projects and goals.
In both types of internships, you will get a chance to work directly on projects related to your field. This will of course give you hands on experience into the tasks an entry-level job might include. The most important part, however, is that you will be working side by side with experienced people in the industry. This will help you grow your contact network and establish the right connections for future jobs or projects.
You need minimal or no-experience to be able to volunteer or intern in most industries, but of course the more you know, the better.
Last but not least, it is important to mention that most organizations offer perks to their interns. This means that even if you are in an unpaid internship you might get a small stipend for gas, free or discounted meals in the cafeteria, and if you are an amazing intern working on international or interstate projects, you might be traveling for free too!
