Internships have gone from “nice to do” to becoming a “must”. This is especially true for the psychology students (undergraduate or graduate) who are recommended to do the internships for a host of reasons. In fact, some universities mandatorily require psychology students to complete an internship and get the needed credit to graduate with good grades.
But even if your college doesn’t have one such requirement, you should still go this route and spend a few weeks if not months in the internship. For psychology students, whether they are in an undergraduate program or post-graduate, this can be a key difference-maker in career.
Gain real-world experience
Theories are great, but in the psychology field, they are not sufficient. The real-world setup can be much different. When dealing with patients, you will encounter many unexpected challenges that theories cannot prepare you for.
Internships provide you with the opportunity for practical application of what you’re learning. You work with patients, understand the various nuances of the job, and amass more practical learning. Such an experience further adds to your knowledge and skills, making you more capable at taking good care of the patients.
Become more confident
This is one of the underrated benefits of internships for psychology students.
When you don’t have real-world experience, you will have numerous unanswered questions. You will be apprehensive about dealing with patients with real problems; you may even be afraid of being responsible for others’ well-being and life.
Internships can help you evade such fear and apprehension. When you’re working under the guidance of someone experienced, such exposure and real-time learning helps you become more confident about your ability to deal with patients and helping them. This is important for a fulfilling career.
Find your career path
Internships can help you with insights to navigate your career in the right direction. For instance, during this period, you may discover you’re better at working with teenagers than grownups. You may discover you enjoy helping people with relationship problems as opposed to those with addiction. You may find you would rather work in a specialized mental health clinic than a large hospital.
Such insights can help you decide on the future course of your career. You can make much more accurate and definite decisions as to what you want to do in the future.
Enjoy more opportunities
An internship adds to your competency. It enhances your marketability. These ensure you have more and better career opportunities at your disposal.
A psychology student with a good internship track record will appeal to many employers. Moreover, not only will you get more offers from reputed names but your pay would also be much higher.
Start your internship
In all, an internship for psychology students is very important. It can position your career to newer heights with greater growth and satisfaction on your end. So, find a good internship opportunity today and start your journey for a fulfilling career.
