Internships play a very important role in the growth of a student as well as in the success of a company. An intern provides his or her services for a much lower price than a permanent employee and brings a new perspective to the business. The role of an intern should be to contribute their skills in a manner that generates value for the company, while at the same time learning from the experience that emerges from new obstacles. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Many employers see internships as a means of obtaining cheap labor who can perform the tasks that no one else wants to do. In other words, the intern becomes a service worker rather than a cost-efficient asset for future growth.

In my opinion an internship is only valuable if I am actively involved, generating value, and learning from the other employees around me; or else it is a waste of time. This is the reason why I have chosen to intern at netlogx. The intern development program that netlogx provides focuses on the attributes and hard work that every intern should experience. Rather than doing easy tasks, netlogx requires the intern to be actively involved and take on important projects that demand strength and an open mind.

This first month at netlogx has been very rewarding for me. I have worked with marketing, staffing, business development, and shadowed every area of the company. netlogx has adopted me into their company and given me the opportunities to grow and contribute to their success.  I am not regarded as ‘the intern”, rather I am treated and respected as another team member. Being respected and treated equally has created an atmosphere for me to expand and actively contribute my skills to the prosperity of netlogx.

When searching for an internship, the reward should come from hard work and hands-on problem solving. Being the service worker may give you something to add to your resume, but it will only hold you back in the long-run.

“There is no substitute for hard work.” – Thomas Edison