Many college students stress about packing their resumes full. Having excellent test scores and grades is good, but not enough. Employers are looking for experience. 

Even some entry-level jobs require two years of experience. Having a degree you worked hard for just won’t do it. So, students frantically look for internships on top of school and social expectations. Most of the time, students do not care if these jobs offer money or even a valuable learning experience—they just need something to put on their resume.

It might feel nice to have a packed resume, but when students enter the workforce, they will not have the skills needed in order to be successful. 

While some internships only offer student interns the opportunity to get coffee orders and file paperwork, other companies take time to educate their interns. 

“A valuable internship does three things: gives you the opportunity to practice what you learn in class, adds new skills to your resume and expands your professional network,” Sadie Wilks, internship coordinator for the Manship School of Mass Communication, said.

Wilks said students should closely read the details in an internship posting and ask themselves if the listing offers the three qualities of a valuable internship. 

Of course, most internships will include some unavoidable busy work and errand running. Students sometimes have to put in extra effort to get the most out of their internship. Wilks suggests asking questions, volunteering for projects and requesting feedback. 

Asking questions demonstrates interest in the work the company is doing. Wilks said that once interns complete tasks that were given to them, they should branch out and see if their coworkers need help with a task. Students should also ask their supervisors for feedback to improve their skills, Wilks said. 
Most students resort to skimming through Google and internship-finding websites, but networking is usually a more effective route. 

“Networking” is a word that makes many students recoil. It sounds so broad and difficult. But, networking can be as simple as reaching out to professors and using school resources. Wilks sends out weekly internship listings to all Manship students, which is a valuable resource for anyone on the job search.

LinkedIn can be another great tool while searching for internships. It is one of the easiest ways to reach out to professionals and search for valuable opportunities. Users can filter for the jobs they are interested in and even see if any of their connections work for a company they’re looking for an opportunity at. 

Although it might be intimidating, students should start looking for these opportunities. Also employers, come on. If you are going to offer internships, teach your interns something. It might be nice to have someone run your errands, but at least pay them back with knowledge.