An internship can offer real-world experience for a career you’re interested in. If you’re in college, internships are a valuable experience in place of a typical class. However, internships and apprenticeships are available beyond college-enrolled students. Here are common careers that offer great internship opportunities.
Concrete Contracting
Concrete is a useful material throughout many industries. Thanks to concrete, you can have a solid surface that can hold up against weathering. Concrete helps build tall structures like skyscrapers and provides the foundations of various structures. For example, whenever you add a pool to your residential property, a concrete contractor digs out the foundation to house it. Concrete is also an essential element on surfaces you drive and walk on. In addition to asphalt, many people opt for a concrete driveway or parking space. While concrete may take longer to cure than asphalt, it lasts much longer and can withstand as much as 6000 pounds per inch.
If you want a career that offers great on-the-job training as an apprentice or intern, consider working at a concrete coating company. In addition to laying down concrete, having the right coating material to protect, is essential. That’s what a coating company does. They apply materials such as epoxy or other materials that can protect the concrete from cracks or unsightly stains. These services are especially useful in a garage where the car and other vehicles may leak oil.
Local Roofing Installation
The roofing industry is secure as people need a place to live. People also need a place to work, and you can’t work in a building that needs compliance if it doesn’t have a roof on it. Therefore, thanks to commercial, residential, and municipal industries, trade roofers always have a structure they can help maintain. That’s why roofing is a career offering great internship opportunities. When you work with a certified roofing contractor, you may have access to different materials and techniques and see how it applies to different types of structures. After all, installing a roof on a sloped residential home may be different from a tall commercial building with a flat roof.
While most Americans are familiar with asphalt shingles, as it’s the most popular roofing in the country, there are other materials available that people may not know about. A solid roof can be constructed from wood, metal, slate, ceramic tiles, TPO, and more. When you train with a versatile roofing contractor, you may learn to install a metal roof. That could be vital to your career, as metal roofing is gaining popularity thanks to its energy efficiency, long durability, resistance to fire and high winds, and overall beauty. Plus, a metal roof is ecological, as you can recycle it after its 70-year lifespan ends.
Kitchen Renovator
Working with a kitchen renovator team is a great job for anyone who understands the value of focusing on a comfortable home. Kitchen renovations are the number one renovation choice in American households. Therefore, if you’re interested in property renovation, becoming a kitchen designer is a good choice. When you work in this space, expect to learn about all the trends in kitchen design. According to The Spruce, one of the popular kitchen design trends that started last year is the use of double islands. A double island makes use of two islands instead of one, which can add dramatic flair and extra functionality to a larger kitchen. Don’t forget about the trend of floating shelves, which add beautiful open storage to a kitchen for those clients moving away from traditional cabinets.
Your kitchen renovation career can take off if you become known for your beautiful designs and efficient work. If you’ve watched the Home Shopping Network, you may notice many people created a name for themselves as amazing interior designers, particularly those focusing on kitchens. Work with stone on countertops, flooring, metal fixtures, and colorful backsplash to create unique kitchens that people want to post on their Pinterest boards. People need a kitchen because they must eat and store food. So, if you’re interested in the home renovation game, this field offers great internship opportunities that can lead to a thriving career.
Paving Specialists
Your local paving contractor is worth interning under because they can show you how to create a safe surface to walk and drive on. You’ll learn how they maintain materials they may work with, which are asphalt or cement. Asphalt is mostly used in cold weather climates because of its ability to absorb heat. Asphalt is also highly resistant to cracking as it expands and contracts with weather changes. However, concrete is more efficient for heavier vehicles, as it can withstand loads up to 6000 pounds per square inch. You can also color concrete to make it fit with the property theme or company color at a business. Paving specialists may work with both these materials or only one. They can show you how to repair and enhance these pavements using sealants that add additional lifespan to a finished driveway.
Professional Painters
Professional painters offer great internship opportunities as they provide a service that buildings and other structures always need. After all, most people don’t want just the color of the raw material on their siding. Painting also protects surfaces from the elements, insects, and humidity, and adds to a design theme. There are so many colors on the color wheel you can show off on your exterior and interior. Local painting contractors will show you how to mix different paint colors to produce vibrant and subtle shades. They are also in tune with local painting trends. According to The Spruce, green, black, and gray were some of the most trending home colors used in 2023.
As you learn on a job with professional painters, you’ll realize the intricate ways they professionally paint a home or business. They never just repaint over an old paint job. They begin by removing the original paint or wallpaper from the wall. After thoroughly washing away any dirt, debris, or grime from the walls, they sand it down. The sanding creates a nice and smooth surface that allows primer and paint to adhere. Normally, they may use a few coats of primer depending on the type of surface they’re working on. After the primer has dried, next comes several layers of professional-quality paint. The type of paint used may differ when working outside as they need a paint that can withstand the elements. After taking advantage of this internship opportunity, you may decide to focus on exterior, interior, or both aspects of professional painting. Enhance your career by providing decorative painting on walls or murals for customers.
Veterinarians
Do you love animals? If so, working at your local animal hospital is a great way to be around these furry friends daily while helping take care of them. It can be hard to see an animal sick, but not all animals at your local vet come in with an illness or a serious injury. Animals, like humans, need regular maintenance. When you have puppies or kittens, it’s essential to get their immunization shots to reduce the likelihood they’ll get sick, especially once they start socializing with other animals. Even if your cat isn’t social, they should still get this protection. Plus, your animals should get regular checkups to ensure the organs are functioning, clip their nails, and check their skin, hair, eyes, and teeth. Regular vet services can ensure your beloved family pet is healthy and can prevent any lingering issues from worsening.
Countertop Stone Cutting
Countertops are a main feature in your kitchen. However, they’re also essential to having a beautiful space in your bathrooms. Countertops can come in a range of materials, but most people prefer the beauty and durability of natural stone. Therefore, working with stone-cutting companies is a great way to see how your typical American kitchen gets its countertops from the source. Granite’s popularity in countertops continues to remain steady, as it’s beautiful and symbolic of luxury, and no two slabs are alike. Therefore, every American could have a countertop from granite, and each counter would have a unique look.
Even if you don’t get a job cutting stone, you may want to start out working in a local countertop showroom. The showrooms provide model countertops that people can view and touch. As a result, people have a better idea of how marble, quartz, granite, and other materials will look in their homes. In addition to stone, some countertop companies may also feature chopping blocks, wood, or even metal.
Fashion Designer
If you’re into en vogue fashion, you may have seen the film The Devil Wears Prada. You may be one of the many people who can’t wait for the annual Met Gala in New York. You may have fashion magazines spread throughout your living room tabletops as you keep up with all the trends each year. If you dream of becoming a fashion designer or assisting them, it’s a great career to get an internship, as you can see all the hard work that goes into a design from start to finish. Even if you don’t decide to pursue fashion design itself, you may want to be in a relevant field such as fashion illustration. You may be the person who helps source the materials that go into these quality pieces, especially during New York or Paris Fashion Week or for luxurious haute couture fashion.
Bathroom Renovator
Did you know that the bathroom was the second most popular choice for a home renovation? It’s no shock, as bathrooms are a necessity and one the most frequently used spaces in a home. Bathroom renovations provide an opportunity to give homeowners a better layout, more ventilation, beautiful countertops, better fixtures, and most importantly, more storage. You can work with plumbing contractors to upgrade the existing fixtures, like rainfall showers, or add a bidet, as seen in European bathrooms. Break up that shower tub combination and install a beautiful deep soaking tub. Design shower stalls with custom tiles from the top to the floor. Bathroom renovation internships can provide the opportunity to see creativity and functionality in motion. It can inspire you to develop your own creative style as a bathroom renovator. Much like kitchen renovation, bathroom renovation is in high demand, especially as people want better master bathrooms, or add additional ones to homes.
Window Treatment Specialists
Did you know the average American home has about 22 windows? With so many windows, that’s a lot of window treatments that people may have to worry about. After all, most people don’t want strangers from outside to be able to peek in and see them getting dressed, sleeping, and living their lives. Window treatments are essential to privacy and being able to control the level of natural light that comes into a home. Your commercial businesses also have the same concern, which is why many of them are often up for a window tinting service. With window tinting, you protect staff and furnishings from extreme UV rays. Natural sunlight is beautiful and allows one to save on artificial light throughout the day. If a building or room is at the angle where the sun is the highest, it can be the focus of intense glare. That sun glare can hit computer screens, making it hard to see them. You can also fade your beautiful hardwood floors and upholstered furniture. Therefore, working as an intern for a window tinting service can help you protect interior spaces and allow people to view and work from your screens as needed.
As you can see, several careers are offering wonderful internship opportunities. An internship or apprenticeship is vital to gaining on-the-job experience without committing to full-time work. Some jobs offer full-time internships in the summer that you can take advantage of in 2024. After all, getting direct experience from a job can help solidify your decision to pursue that career. You may also realize it’s not the right fit for you and allow you to change gears. Good luck finding available internship opportunities in 2024.
