It is summer internship season and several of you are going to have to decide what size company you need to work for – a start-up, a small company, or a large firm? However internships tend to be universal in nature; your role might differ as you shift from a larger company to a smaller one. Sometimes it can be stressful to try and choose which internship is right for you. This post will tell you about the main difference between interning at small company and large company.
First of all, don’t worry because you can’t go wrong.
An internship is an internship and regardless of your company being big or small you will get great hands-on experience, a resume builder, networking opportunities, and a chance to really decide if you need to continue to pursue that field after graduation. This article will highlight the key difference between interning at small company and large company.
When I was an intern, I interned at large companies such as Fox, and NBC , mid-sized companies like BWR Public Relations, and small companies based out of Tallahassee and Orlando, Florida. I had the privilege of experiencing various different sized business and the perks that go along with each specific type of internship.
At the larger companies, actually securing the internship was a much more in-depth process. I would meet with a Human Resources department and everything internship related would go through them. They had particular application deadlines, start dates, and end dates. They also had lots of cool programming. At Fox, they gave us professional portfolios, pens, and other goodies.
They treated us all (hundreds of interns) to company lunches on the lawn, the Inn and Out Food Truck, and more. We’d have executive lunch series speakers, intern mingling events, and more. At the larger companies, there were more people around but I did not essentially have the opportunity to meet with them.
When I interned with smaller companies and mid-sized companies, I was probably capable to make stronger relationships with the people I worked under. There were less of them and less of us (interns!). They did try to have speaker’s series (and things like that) but they were not as “grand” as the larger companies. When I would intern at smaller companies, I felt like I was capable to assist more people. The tasks I was doing as an intern – admin work, research, taking notes, observing meetings – weren’t necessarily different from the work I did at large companies. The only difference was that I felt there were more eyeballs on me. Again, because there were less of them and less of us (interns!).
I have many other thoughts to share on the topic. If you’re considering an internship with a company who does cool things but no one has heard of them, that is okay. Do the internship, make a lasting impression, network, and assist with as many different tasks as possible. These days, most students are interning with multiple companies over the course of their college career. Once you have completed your internship with the smaller company, go do an internship with a recognizable brand name. The other experience should assist you land a pretty big name.
Having both of these opportunities will balance out your resume and provide you great experience at two different sized companies i.e. interning at small company and large company. Hopefully, at the end of the internships, you will be capable to decide what size company you would like to work in after college.