Internships can point teens toward great careers. Details here on all the benefits for your child.

All photos courtesy of SLB Radio. Writer Ben Wilson is a member of SLB’s Youth Media Corps.

Many teens look for a first job to start earning money and gaining work experience. I thought my first job would be at a place like McDonald’s or some kind of retail store. But I got the chance to experience something different – and very valuable. I’ve been working as a paid intern at SLB Radio. I learned a lot working at SLB, even just during the summer.

Your child might be surprised that paid internships are a possibility, but they are out there. Internships may not be as easy to find as regular minimum-wage jobs, but it’s worth making the effort to find one. If you have a teen or preteen who might want to pursue an internship in the future, here is some information to share with them.

Finding an Internship

I feel lucky to have landed an internship that not only interests me, but pays well. This happened because I looked for learning opportunities that connected with my interests. I began working at the radio station by first joining the youth program that they have. It’s a free program that anyone can join. So I was able to pick up some knowledge before I got my internship. I basically learned how to do my job before I had it.

That’s a great first step when looking for an internship: Try to build the skill you’re interested in before you look for a job or internship in that field. The skills you gain in advance will only increase your chances of being picked for the position. And any classes you take or groups you join to build those skills may help you meet adults who could help you find an internship.

If your teen is curious about a particular career path, try to help them find free or affordable classes or programs that they can join to build skills in that area. Maybe a high schooler looking for an internship at a tech company in Pittsburgh can take coding classes or a student interested in getting hired as a camp counselor can volunteer at programs working with young children.

Another important thing: Make sure to network with adults you meet at school or at a job you already have. Show them how hard you work and tell them what kind of career you’re interested in. Most opportunities won’t just hit you in the face, like mine did. So if you make sure the adults around you are familiar with your interests and see that you work hard, they’re much more likely to recommend you for an internship or entry-level job.

What Teens Gain: The Power of Work Experience

I’m sure a lot of people who are just coming out of college, or job hunting, or any young person looking for something to do might say that it’s hard to be really taken seriously if you have no experience. Probably that’s especially true if you’re still in high school. But not everywhere you look for an internship will be like that; some places will teach you everything you need to know and pay you at the same time.

That’s one of the things I think SLB does really well. They had no problem teaching me and other kids how to do our jobs and still rewarding us for them. It never felt like we were doing something for nothing in return, especially because during my three-month internship I got paid based on how many hours I worked. I had to put in the effort, so everything I did felt like it was for a reason.

I think an internship that interests you and treats you well is the best way to set yourself up for success.

The Importance of Good Coworkers

No matter how much an internship pays you or how much experience you get, in my opinion the people you work around are what makes or breaks a job. You could be working at a Walmart for $15 an hour and be surrounded by people you like who treat you well. Or you could work at Google as a programmer and make $120 dollars an hour, but be working around people you really dislike. If you pull two people in those situations into a room and ask them, ”Are you happy with your job?”, the person who is around people who treat them well and that they like will probably say “Yes.”

So one key as you begin networking and looking for places to become an intern is to see how the staff seems to treat one another. Does it seem like a place that people enjoy working? What I’ve learned is that if you have some flexibility in where you can work, it’s always better to stay in a job or internship because you like it there and you’re learning, rather than just for the money or experience.

I was very lucky to work with the staff at SLB. All of them were very friendly and helpful. It really did feel like they wanted me and my other interns around. They are also very transparent about almost everything there. I learned a lot about things like how the company pays its interns and workers.

I hope more teenagers in the Pittsburgh area can find internships that pay them well and inspire them to pursue a career they love. Ultimately, if you want an internship, look for what interests you and try to build some skills in that, then begin networking and exploring what’s available. Ideally, you can find something that pays well and also has a good staff. I know that sounds hard to find and it can be. But if you find it, work hard and try your best to hold on to it.