How many internships is too many?
I am currently a sophomore in college; advertising major and event management minor. I had my first internship at a small marketing/ad agency last summer and have been working there part time ever since. I'm happy to be working in my industry already and would love to stay with this company trough my college career, but would also love to get more internships under my belt with different agencies/companies. Should I plan for another next summer? Or should I wait until I'm an upper division student? I worry too many internships may be a bad thing but I have no idea. Thanks! #advertising #marketing #internships #undergrad #event-management
3 answers
Daniel’s Answer
There really is no cap on the number of internships someone should have, as any work experience is better than none. However, if you decide on doing another internship, I would recommend trying to get one at a mid-size to large company if possible, as networking is key to career success, so if you do know what type of field you want to get into, finding an internship in a company that matches your desired work field will lead to more job opportunities in the future, both from colleagues you meet at the company you're interning at, and also given it will boost your professional resume.
Cheers, and best of luck with your studies!
Julia’s Answer
I would always encourage for gaining as much experience as possible, but if your options are to remain at your current place or move on to another internship, you're still gaining experience.
If you do have multiple internships, it is important to be able to explain and "sell" this when discussing them later on (i.e. interviews). On paper you might have 3-5 internships that vary in role, company type, etc. How do your internships connect, even if they seem very different? How did this set of internships shape who are you and your future goals?
Personally, I had a wide range of internships, and on paper it looked like a mess. But once I told the story of how I got from Point A to Point B, people were interested in hearing more.