Externships provide you with short, useful, hands-on experiences in your field of study. Usually offered as the culmination of a career-training program, an externship lets you “test-drive” a career with some on-the-job exposure. Businesses that host externships can support students and their career goals in addition to sharing the time and talent of their staff. When you’re on externship, you’re in an actual workplace, side-by-side with professionals from the field you’re about to enter.

10 Benefits of Externships for Career School

Externships are a very valuable part of your training program. They allow you to gain insight into the job, while also helping you to clarify your career goals. Here are 10 benefits you can gain through the externship portion of your career training program: 

1. Get the kind of real-world business skills and experience that employers look for. What you learn on your externship can easily transfer to your future career.
2. Work in a professional environment, observing highly competent, respectful, mature, and accountable employees working towards a common goal.
3. Clarify your career goals. You’ve chosen your profession, but are there options within? For example, would you like to work in a small private practice as a Medical Assistant or in a big hospital?
4. Assist with duties and procedures whenever you’re asked to help out. This will increase your hands-on experience, expand on your knowledge, and beef up your resume.
5. Hone your skills and open your eyes to more aspects of the industry. While you observe and learn, you can also perform tasks you’ve learned in school. Maybe you’ll fine-tune something you learned in chairside procedures in your Dental Assisting program or experience an actual dental emergency. What you do during either is the kind of experience you can talk about in a Dental Assisting interview.
6. Learn about day-to-day activities and responsibilities. The best way to learn about a career is to see what your daily routine might look like. What part of the day will you love? What parts could present a challenge where you’ll need to work on your skills?
7. Receive real-time feedback from experienced professionals. Discover your strengths for the field and gain attention for your accomplishments. Find out what you do well and where you need to improve. Feedback can help boost your morale and can give you a sense of purpose.
8. Form a strong work ethic. Your externship gives you an opportunity to practice good work skills. Arrive a little early every day, pay attention, show initiative. Make sure to dress appropriately according to workplace rules and use your worktime wisely.
9. Learn the ins and outs of the current job market for your profession and discover what you’ll need to do to beat out the competition.
10. Grow a network by connecting with colleagues and managers during and after your externship. Don’t forget to ask lots of questions and attend networking events online (or safely in person). Connect with the people you meet at your externship on LinkedIn and keep in touch.

Your externship is the time to learn how your career works in real-life. You will learn to communicate with co-workers and supervisors, and learn what protocols you must follow. Be sure to ask questions to understand how your co-workers started in their roles and if they have any advice they’d like to share. Learn from everyone around you!

At YTI Career Institute in Pennsylvania, you can choose a career training program that will teach you the necessary skills you need to step out into the real world and begin working as a professional in your field on day one. Several of our programs offer externships such as Business Administration: Business Operations Management, Veterinary Technician, Medical Assistant, Electronics Engineering Technology, and more. You’ll learn directly from industry professionals and gain real-world experience that could help you launch your new career.

YTI Career Institute is committed to supporting students in achieving the technical and professional skills essential for their chosen career through industry-modeled, student-centered education, and training. Apply today and start working toward the profession that’s the perfect fit for you.