Why should students intern at a startup?
Tags: Startup, Internships, Talent, Students, Education

Photo by Sung Shin on Unsplash

What do students think of first when summer internships come to mind? A fancy summer at a consulting or banking firm? Highly-regarded lab-based research? When weighing the options, it’s easy to gravitate toward big-names. For some, the stressful search for an internship can start as early as the academic year itself and won’t settle until the placement is secured. For others, internships are not a top priority at all.

I’m a medical student (not one of those who are no longer interested in clinical work!) and in the last year, I’ve had the opportunity to work with CeraCare, a health-tech start-up transforming the care sector. Reflecting on it, I realised that such an experience can bring value to any student in any field.

I’d love to see more STEM and medical students considering interning at start-ups. Even if we never become entrepreneurs ourselves, one day, we may need to work with them to bring our ideas to the world.

#1 Discover

Still in the search for your passion? Maybe there are some interests that you couldn’t fully explore during your degree? Or maybe you are pretty set on your career pathway but never actually had a chance to experience what it will look like? A start-up internship can offer you the exposure necessary to answer those important questions. You may even discover some new interests or be presented with new challenges to test your passions and determination. If you find that entrepreneurship or business are not for you, that’s an answer too!

#2 Learn

Think about what you really want to gain from your internship. Shouldn’t it be all about gaining new skills and knowledge? At start-ups, you can develop your soft skills and learn more about project management, marketing, operations, negotiation… It’s up to you to decide which skills you want to develop and it may be worthwhile focusing on those that you don’t feel confident about just yet.

#3 Own

You get the opportunity to have real responsibility and to finally apply your skills in practice. Due to the smaller scale and nature of start-ups, you may be exposed to more strategic projects and have a real impact on bringing value to the business. You may be even hired to fill in a specific gap in their workforce! Your ideas and considerations will be taken seriously. Although it may feel like a lot of pressure, it’s actually your time to shine, overcome your fears, and own something!

#4 Adapt

Another benefit of internships at start-ups is their flexibility. It probably doesn’t have to be a three-month-long commitment and you may not have to be in your final year. During your internship, you could have a chance to work with different teams. This will give you a sense of what different parts of a business actually do, but may also feel uncertain and stressful, especially if different teams have different objectives. Such experience will equip you with skills applicable in every discipline.

#5 Network

You can establish long-lasting relationships. Start-ups usually have very diverse teams and employees may have experience from various industries — great opportunity to grow your network. Although it may feel intimidating at first, you will quickly realise that you can bring a new perspective and that your insights can be really valuable.

#6 Fun!

Lastly, it’s going to be fun! Start-ups are usually very committed to their mission, thus you will meet loads of passionate and inspiring people. They also put a lot of emphasis on culture, so expect fun social activities. Navigating socials with your new colleagues and bosses may also pose some challenges, especially for introverts, however, it means you will have yet another opportunity to learn and grown.

By Paulina Cecula, Former Unbox Campus Director at Imperial College London