The advantages of doing an internship
Practical experience & applying knowledge
The most obvious and probably also the most important argument for doing an internship during your university studies is that you gain valuable practical experience. At university, you generally receive theoretical training, while at an internship, you develop skills that you would not necessarily acquire in the lecture hall. Think, for example, of working with certain business systems, or communicating with customers or external parties.
Besides, an internship provides the opportunity to apply your knowledge to real challenges within a company. This allows you to gain a better understanding of the theory and look at the material with new insights, once you return to your lectures after your internship.
Job opportunities
It's no secret that an internship looks good on your CV. It shows potential employers that you have the necessary work experience and that you have made an effort to explore the job market during your studies. Besides, it can help you make useful connections within a particular sector, which may be very valuable as soon as you try to land a job, especially if your degree is not directly related to the field of your interest.
Expanding your network
During an internship, you will meet all kinds of new people. Colleagues, the management team, clients, or third parties... All of these people may be able to help you in your search for a job after your studies, sometimes even years after you have worked with them. Students also often end up with a part-time or full-time job after their internship or graduation project at a company. Doing an internship is, therefore, a great way to expand your network without having to attend all kinds of networking events.
Discover what suits you
Not yet sure what you want to do after your studies? Then an internship is a great way to explore which field and job positions suit you best. As an intern, you meet many different colleagues with various job positions, giving you an insightful look behind the scenes. This may help you figure out how to use your talents and what energises you.
Moreover, it’s a great way to test whether the career you have in mind is actually right for you. During an internship, you'll quickly find out whether your expectations of a role or field match reality. If so, great! If not, you'll gain important insights for the future and may be able to make adjustments for your future career – for example, in your choice of master's programme.
The disadvantages of doing an internship
Less flexibility
As a student, you are used to planning a large part of your time and tasks independently. This is different during an internship: you are employed full-time or part-time by a company, so you will probably be expected to be present (on location) during office hours. This probably means that exercising during the day, sleeping in late and staying out at the pub until 3 a.m. will have to be put on hold for a while.
Income
Due to the workload, you probably will have less time to work during an internship. Still, as an intern in the Netherlands, you may not always receive an internship allowance: it is not legally mandatory. Non-profit sectors, for example, often do not have the budget. If you do receive an internship allowance, the average amount is around €450, although this may rise to €1,000 per month, depending on the sector and your internship company. In any case, most students cannot get by with just their internship allowance. So, before you start an internship, check whether you will receive a monthly allowance and if you need to supplement your income, for example, with a weekend job.
*Note: Do you want to do an internship outside of the Netherlands? Then different conditions may apply.
Potential study delay
Most students choose to do an internship during their elective period in the third year of their bachelor's, or during their graduation project in their master’s. In those cases, you won’t have to delay graduating: perfect! But what if you choose to do an internship at a different time, for example, because you have other plans for your elective period? In that case, you will most likely have to postpone your graduation for a while. This is not a problem in itself, but it is important to consider the financial consequences: after all, you will still have to pay the tuition fee. Therefore, if you get the chance, it's generally most convenient to do an internship during your elective period, as part of your curriculum.
Conclusion
It's actually quite simple: an internship has more advantages than disadvantages. Especially as a university student, an internship can be a great addition to your academic education, providing you with many valuable experiences. But every person and every internship is different, so it is mostly important to inform yourself well and consider the pros and cons that are important to you.
Of course, you don't have to do this alone. If you are unsure about doing an internship, simply contact the internship coordinator for your study programme or your study advisor, and discuss the options together. There are probably more possibilities than you think!
