career-lessons

June 6, 2017, by Carla

Career Lessons You Can’t Learn In The Classroom

By Stephen Pritchard, Adzuna

While exams, lectures and seminars may teach and test you, when it comes to the world of work there’s no substitute for real experience.

Here, three interns currently working at the job search engine Adzuna tell us about some career lessons you just can’t learn in the classroom.

Beatriz Corrêa, PR & Marketing Intern for Adzuna.com.br

Developing industry knowledge

Being exposed to the daily activities and challenges of an industry, teaches you a deep understanding of how it works.

Make sure to ask a lot of questions and reach out to people from other areas of the company in order to understand how it operates as a whole. As well as showing that you’re interested and eager to learn, having that broader knowledge about the industry will help in future interviews and jobs.

Learning negotiation skills

Even if you don’t plan a job in sales, it’s likely your role will require negotiation skills. While negotiations during group assignments are common in university, this is very different from having to sell an idea to a client or a co-worker.

During an internship you can get tips from people with more experience, and immediately practice what you learn.

Adriana Kowoski, PR & Marketing Intern for Adzuna.fr

Coping with the unexpected

Spontaneous situations that require immediate attention mean that even if you’re the most organised person you will find yourself momentarily unorganised in the workplace.  

University might throw up a surprise now and again, but it can’t really teach you how to deal with the kind of urgent case dealings that come up in the workplace. This is something you just have to learn to cope with yourself.

Reporting to someone else

As an intern, you’ll likely have to report your goals, tasks, challenges and achievements to your manager.

It can seem a bit strange at the beginning if you’ve been used to a high degree of autonomy during your studies, but it’s a habit that soon becomes natural.

Denise Chua, PR & Marketing Intern for Adzuna.nl

Gaining analytical skills

My analytical skills have developed so much during my half year as an intern.

When analysis has an impact on the business instead of being simply theoretical, you’re given the opportunity to apply what you’ve learned.  

Working with your boss

At university you’re the student; on an internship you may get to take on a role of responsibility. Your manager may push you out of your comfort zone and be interested in your input. 

Adzuna has just launched the 2017 Graduate of the Year competition. Enter today for a chance to win an internship with a top UK company and a £1,000 cash prize. Entries close June 30. They are also on the hunt for digital marketing interns – apply today.

Posted in Work experience