There are multiple reasons why I believe every BBYO teen should complete an internship (or more) within their high school career.

As a high school Junior, I have had the privilege of participating in two internships thus far. Earlier this year, I had the chance to intern with Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, at his Washington, DC office. During my internship, I did everything from running errands for his staff to sitting in on hearings and meeting with the senator. I watched the senators vote on a bill and even got to see some of the senators eating chicken wings at an event for the chicken caucus.

The year before, I interned for a startup called InnerView Education doing logo design and curriculum building. InnerView is an online course that the founders, who I got to work with, started to help high school students learn about themselves and how to tell stories which they can use when writing college essays and also to empower them during college and career transitions.

During these internships, I got to interact with a lot of adults, and learn things I couldn’t have by just going to class. Here are some of the top benefits to encourage fellow BBYO teens to acquire an Internship.

1. Expand on Interests and Career Choices: When doing an internship, you are able to learn about yourself, more specifically what you do and don’t enjoy. For example, when it comes to public policy I learned that I might want to focus on human rights or social justice rather than other issues.

2. Gain Experience: This is pretty self explanatory, but an internship is a way to develop skills that you don’t get in class, even if it is just learning how to commute to the office or work with people in a professional setting.

3. Network and Make Connections: When you do an internship, you can meet a lot of people outside of school who can be future mentors. It is important to keep in touch with the people you work with, thank them for the opportunity and email them from time to time so they remember you.

4. Resume Building: College is something on most high schoolers' minds at some point. An internship is a great conclusion to your resume/college applications. Additionally, it is also a personal experience to expand on in your interviews and personal narratives. Lastly, your internship supervisor will be a reference that can share their experiences working with you to college admission officers and/or write a letter of recommendation on your behalf.

The BBYO alumni network is a huge community that is supportive of the BBYO teens. This network is a great resource to utilize when looking for an internship. Reach out!  If there is a job you want to do or a career you want to try, find someone who does it and just ask if they would be willing to let you intern for a few weeks. Make sure to share how you would be of help, and what you can do to make their job easier.

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