Business. What a general word. It can encapsulate anything from world-class companies like Amazon to the lemonade stand set up by the 5-year-old neighbor on the end of the street. There can be as many positions and ways to get into business as there are animals on the planet. With so many ways to get started, obtain a position, and keep expanding, the first thing is to have background knowledge on exactly what the term “business internships” offers.

As stated previously, with so much variety within the field of business, the internships vary. Students interested in anything from advertising to technology can partake in a business internship. So what different kinds of internships are available to these students? For those interested in marketing, product marketing or sales marketing internships would be the best route. These internships aid students in building a portfolio of marketing tactics including “gathering data on market trends, analyzing and interpreting product feedback and studying the marketing strategies of competitors” (“Types of Internships for Business Majors”). For those students that like leading or taking charge, a business management internship offers teamwork and collaboration through methods such as building business strategies. Students that are interested in analyzing data or brainstorming solutions would be a great fit for a business consulting internship. In these internships, students will gather materials and data to analyze them. This better equips them for any “consultations” they may have with business owners, in which they will give suggestions to sharpen or create a business model. These are just a few different types of internships available for students interested in the business field.

    Now if you want to pursue an internship of this sort, how can you get one? The best part about this process is that it will give you real world experience on how to apply for jobs. Although the application process varies depending on the company or business, some typical aspects that you can expect to see are letters of recommendation, a resume, and/or an interview. The letters of recommendation will be written by your professors unless you have previous work experience. Doing research online, looking at templates, and watching videos can help build skills necessary for creating a resume and preparing for an interview before applying to your first internship.

Before you submit that application and find those internships, it is important to consider the pros and cons of such opportunities. Majority of internships will start off unpaid, meaning that you will not be reimbursed for the hours that you put into said company or business. Looking for an internship opportunity should mean you are interested in the work experience and not the monetary reimbursement you could be getting. That being said, internships give students an excellent look into what a career in business could look like as well as helping them start building those business skills early on. They are also great networking opportunities (especially in a field that heavily relies on network) and it looks great on future resumes. The biggest downside to this opportunity from a student standpoint would be the overlap it could have with school work. If you can overcome this obstacle, you will have built excellent time management skills as well as hard and soft skills from the combination of classes and work experience. 

Overall, business internships are a great bridge between undergraduate students and business. The various opportunities can make it easy for interested students to find an internship that will suit their interests. With a combination of networking opportunities, communication skills, and teamworking settings, undergraduate students can be promised an excellent experience by taking up a business internship.

Works Cited

“5 Pros and Cons About Taking On an Internship as a Student.” Leaderonomics, 14 Mar. 2023, www.leaderonomics.com/articles/youth/pros-cons-internship-student. 

Boyles, Michael. “What Is Business Strategy & Why Is It Important?” Business Insights Blog, 20 Oct. 2022, online.hbs.edu/blog/post/what-is-business-strategy. 

Handshake. “Your Guide to Business Internships.” Handshake, 16 Dec. 2020, joinhandshake.com/blog/students/business-internships/. 

“Resume Samples.” Handshake, joinhandshake.com/blog/students/tag/resume-samples/. Accessed 26 July 2023. 

Riserbato, Rebecca. “The Rewarding World of Small Business Consulting.” HubSpot Blog, 25 Aug. 2021, blog.hubspot.com/sales/small-business-consulting. 

“Types of Internships for Business Majors.” Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide, 29 June 2018, www.wayup.com/guide/internships-business-majors/.