Internships are a brilliant way to grow your skill set, both as a person and a professional. First-hand experience in a real work setting offers a multitude of benefits regardless of the specific workplace.
But if we’re honest, not all internships are created equal.
Here at Sage Corps, we’re not just offering you the opportunity to intern abroad (which is cool enough on its own), but to intern at a startup. A placement in a large world-renowned company has its perks, obviously. But a small startup internship offers students much more than a resume builder and a glimpse into post-college life.
Here are our top ten reasons you should intern at a startup.
1. You’ll Be Working On A Small Team
Interns at big companies are too often utilized as quiet coffee runners. Stuffed into the smaller corners of big office floors, there’s a lot of the working experience being missed.
A small startup removes that barrier. An intern could find themselves getting much more hands-on with projects than they could elsewhere, and have the opportunity to feel like a part of the team instead of simply an extra pair of hands. It’s pretty common for interns to be working directly with or around the CEOs and other big-decision makers in the company, lending more perspective to how a company runs.
This leads us to our next point…
2. Small Teams Mean Big Opportunities
Working in such a comparatively small group means the capacity to impress upper management is compounded. While hard work might go unnoticed in a busier setting, interns at startups often find themselves being trusted with real work that genuinely impacts the business.
Just look at our student outcomes to see how involved some of our alumni were in their placements. From building interfaces to market analysis, our interns were busy getting real-life experience to take with them. In terms of real-life application, this benefit sets interns miles apart from the competition.
3. You Can Wear More Than One Hat
The more intimate environment offers an intern the chance to try different things. Maybe you’re hoping for experience in data analysis, but the sales manager pulls you into a client meeting. But not before you’re sent over to the warehouse to help with some inventory assessment.
At best, you realize exactly what you want to do. At worst, you’re learning how every part of the business functions. Either way, it’s an invaluable experience as you step into your own career.
4. You’ll Pick Up Cutting Edge Skills
There’s a reason tech giants poach the minds driving impressive startups. These companies, small as they may be, are often the driving force behind many industry changes. Our Sage Corps founder, Matt, often talks about building tomorrow’s trending job skills at startups today. A role that currently only exists at startups today might be an industry-standard position in a couple years from now, putting you ahead of the crowd.
5. Networking Opportunities
As the old saying goes… ”it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”.
Trust us, it definitely matters what you know, especially in an industry like tech. But it always helps to be well-connected as you take the first few steps in your career.
A startup places the opportunity to impress firmly in your hands. The possibility of hiring you further down the line might not be viable for your placement, but knowing your CEO on a first-name basis could go a long way when a position opens up in another nearby company.
6. Location, Location, Location
Many startups find themselves drawn to the same areas of a city. Barcelona, for example, devoted an entire economic development project to attract fledgling companies. In some cases, these new businesses are located in a central hub or office space.
Lots of fresh new businesses working in close proximity to one another helps foster an energetic atmosphere, and it’s not uncommon to see these companies coming together regularly for industry meetups. Even smaller parties or events within a work hub can open doors. Not to mention it’s fun too!
Sage Corps students presenting at Centraal in Mexico City. I’t’s a co-working space and home to a number of startups in the local startup ecosystem. They are also a member of the Google for Entrepreneurs Tech Hub Network.
7. Let Your Creative Juices Flow
Startups aren’t bogged down by decades of office etiquette. Often, they’re relaxed, fun, and creative in their processes.
As a young intern, there couldn’t be a better place to get your toes wet. Building the confidence to share ideas can be tough, but we guarantee it’ll be a lot easier at a startup than at a multinational corporation. Leaving an internship feeling like you were truly a part of the company has a value that’s hard to quantify, but you definitely won’t feel that way as one of many cycled interns in a larger company.
8. You’ll Get Valuable Feedback
Constructive criticism from people that know more than us is massively important for growth. At a startup, you’re much more likely to have a grasp on your progress, because you’re going to have a relationship with your peers. Upper management might be in the same room as you for the bulk of your placement, hopefully giving you beneficial advice straight from the source.
Sage Corps summer cohort at Impact Hub in Amsterdam, part of the Impact Hub global network helping a network of entrepreneurs in 102 cities worldwide.
9. Age can be more than a number
More than 70% of employees in startups are under the age of 45, meaning you’re going to have much more in common with your peers than at some larger businesses. It’s much easier to connect and grow confidence with those around you when you feel more comfortable. Personal bonds can be strengthened through similar interests and similar world views, something that may be lacking in other environments.
10. Your Experience Will Speak For Itself
We’ve all sat in an interview and felt ourselves shining a brighter light on our experiences. Maybe you explained two weeks of photocopying as Office Data Technological Organizational Systems. It’s okay. Us too.
At a small startup, you’re going to have real experience, do real jobs, and gain real insight. Believe us when we tell you it’s not hard to spot who’s winging it and who’s really walked the talk. Not only that, but doing an internship abroad sparks conversation, helping you to stand out from the crowd.
You’re no longer John or Jane Doe who did an internship. You’re John or Jane Doe who landed a super cool internship abroad, is obviously brave enough to challenge themselves, and is marvelously well traveled. It’s a mouthful, but a pretty cool one.
Interested in interning abroad with a startup? You can request more info here and be kept in the loop about upcoming deadlines, scholarships and events.
