Walking home from work, I am constantly surrounded by people like me: hardworking individuals. Currently, I am an undergraduate student that has chosen to work the entire summer as an intern. Lately, as I scroll through my social media feeds (especially on my way home from a long day at work), and see my friends back having fun, I ask myself, "Why am I doing this?". More specifically, I think to myself why I would give up three months of freedom to work in an office 9-to-5?

I realized the reason: it’s because we want to make it in the real world. We strongly believe that by giving up these few months in the summer we are opening doors for our future selves and adding the necessary flare to our resumes. I still can't help but ask the question: are internships really that beneficial? After looking up the statistics it seems so. The proof is in the pudding.

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What I found through my research was that credible sites such as Forbes were claiming internships as absolutely essential for future success, stating that, "69 percent of companies with 100 or more employees offered full-time jobs to their interns”. Additionally, Forbes added that through extensively polling 7,300 recent students and graduates, and 300 recruitment professionals, results show that internships have become the new version of interviews. It’s a way for students to test out the waters in their desired career fields and a way for employers to scope out a student’s abilities and work ethic. Finally, Stuart Lander, chief marketing of officer at Internships.com states you have a “7 in 10 chance of being hired with a company you interned with.”

So, to put it simply, the hard evidence is there. Being an undergrad and seeing these statistics is startling, and incredibly insightful. Although I still have the opportunity to live in the blissful state of being a college student for two more years, I am constantly haunted by my future aspirations and how I am going to achieve those goals. As millennials we live in a different job market than our parents did. Gone are the days that we graduate with a degree and slide comfortably into the workforce. Arguably, in the current work environment, we have to jump even more hurdles to get our foot in the door.

This is why internships have become essential to our generation. Through one experience we have the opportunity to live our majors in the real world. It’s a double-sided test in the sense that you’re learning about your employer in detail and your employer gets to know you on a personal level.

There are instances, however, when internships can be a negative experience. Most of the time that involves an employer taking advantage of "free" employee. A lot of times interns will be trusted with complicated responsibilities with minimal training, leaving the intern overwhelmed, and usually results in an intern leaving a company without any real training or experience. Many students fall into the personal assistant trap, mainly running mundane errands (like getting coffee) and not getting a rewarding experience. As students, it's becoming increasingly hard to find internships with meaningful opportunities.

In the end, I know that spending my summer working full-time is not a waste of time. It's a step forward in my career and personal growth. I've realized it is up to our generation to make a name for ourselves, and the first step to being successful is an internship.

Are you currently interning? Tell us about your experience in the comments!