Unrelated Internships: Good or Bad?

  1. What are unrelated internships?

    Internships that do not relate to the student's major or their professional goals can be referred to as such. It can be stated that a computer science major may opt for marketing or content writing internships.

  2. The dilemma: to pursue or not to pursue?

    Many students wonder whether unrelated internships would make or break their career prospects. Of course, some argue that they are useful while others insist that they may not contribute much to specialized skills.

  3. Benefits of unrelated internships

    • Transferable skill development: Outdated internships will teach students transferable skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
    • Career exploration: It provides opportunities to introduce students into different industries, thus revealing their hidden passions.
    • It provides networking. Through the internship, experiences are gained in interacting with professionals working in different fields.
    • More diversified resumes: Not relevant internships may make the resume more diversified and better.

  4. The disadvantages of unrelated internships

    • Not specialized: Not even to the development of specialized skills needed to perform in a particular role.
    • Risk of inconsistency: An unrelated internship would have no use to the long-term goals.

  5. The verdict: a balanced approach

    Hence, whether to do unrelated internships depends on individuals' career goals and aspirations that they want to achieve in their careers. Actually, those whose careers are unsure can try different fields. However, ones who know what they want may consider targeted internships that contribute directly to the field they want.

  6. Key takeaways

    Unrelated internships would provide experience and skills. For instance, they lead the student to explore various career paths. It also requires experience with internships that have nothing to do with focus on more long-term goals. Stress transferable skills and significant experiences gained in entirely unrelated internships in a resume.