The Value of Internships

While a lot of my friends I graduated college with are still looking for jobs, I am reminded again how important it is to have at least one really, really good internship under your belt.

Where I am currently employed, I first interned for 4 months. Same with my boyfriend, and countless other friends. Actually, everyone I know who graduated with me and is living in Washington, D.C. working in politics and the government, is working where he or she interned. Some of the internships were paid and others were unpaid, but in the end it was a job based on who you know and what you know. If you are put up against someone who looks good on paper, but the company already knows the kind of work you do- even if you don't look as good on paper- you are still more likely to land the job you want.

And to all the recent grads out there who are still looking for a job, don't be afraid to take an 8 or 12 week internship. Just because you aren't in school anymore, doesn't mean you are "overqualified" to be an intern. It just might land you the perfect job you've been looking for all summer.