High school students can be, and maybe even should be, interns during their summer months. Many high school students take a complete break during summer, and in a sense shut their minds off for a bit. Don't get us wrong, some rest and relaxation is indeed a good idea, but one can definitely squeeze an internship into the months off. This can be an incredible learning experience, get you a jump start on networking and building your resume and help you when you enter college to choose your major. This last point is pretty huge, as many college students have a hard time deciding what to major in, and if an internship can help you, it will be a tremendous help and advantage.

Penny Loretto, an internship writer at About.com has an article about this. “High school and college years are an excellent time to explore the wide range of career options that are available. I know many students who stick with similar internships throughout their academic years while others have gone out and found totally different opportunities to increase their knowledge and skills and to explore options they might not get a chance to do otherwise. If you are interested in learning more about internships and career options, your Career Services Office at your college is a great place to start.”

Most past-interns would repeat the advice in the title of this blog post now that they've entered the 'real-world'. Networking with people at your internship is vital to getting the most out of your experience. Some internship's teach you a lot with hands-on experience and some borderline abuse you with coffee duties, but they both can be helpful. This is where networking comes in. It will allow you to be social with the people in your field, which gives you more insight into the positions and lifestyles you could potentially have yourself. It will help you bond with others, which can lead to more trust and a thus a better internship program. Finally, it can make you some strong connections which you can use in the future to land a job. We all know someone who was hired because of their 'connection'. Well, this is how many job interviews come about and it's the way the world works, so don't hesitate to network like crazy yourself.Talk to everyone you can, be friendly and ask questions (enthusiasm is the key in these). Knowing the right people becomes even more important in rough economies, just like we're experiencing now. It's rare to find someone who regrets doing an internship, even a rough one helps you learn, but make sure you network and take full advantage of the opportunity you have.