Although internships are most associated with students, they are also good means for people to get into a new industry (keeping pride locked in a box in some remote place).
Internships matter as they help you try out a niche or a job before you commit full time.
You will like the internship more if you go into thinking you will learn things, and not that it all means an easy ticket to a full-time job.
Unpaid internship is a no-no, unless you are learning something valuable, or the company has promised you a job if you 'show potential', but never work for free for more than a couple of months.
Be at your best: Be on time, diligent, mild-mannered, sober, serious and pleasant for every moment of the entire internship.
Above all else, watch, listen, and learn.
Getting an internship: You get internships through hard work and following the best practices. On the front end, you are meeting useful people (events, references, cold call) in relevant companies in your niche. On the back end, you are also making a small identity for yourself- online resume, blog (full of relevant industry posts), a YouTube channel with a curated list of 'how to make it in Industry X', 'Tips and tricks about many tasks in industry X' etc.
Turning an internship into a full time job: Cozy up with the boss. Find a common ground (similar interests etc.). Read up on the company and the industry. Research into the currently sought after skill sets in the industry. Be useful. Work hard. Do something really valuable or useful for the company, something you see others aren’t doing, and let the boss know about it. Be the solutions person and the job may be yours. Know all you can about the company (especially how it makes money), even other departments- this way you will meet more people, more people will know your interests and use. Show real empathy with the boss and company's concerns. This is a big thing. If they offer you a job, which is not what you were looking for, be flexible and take the offer.
Thank you for reading.
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