If you’re starting out in your career, you’ve probably wondered: What work is right for me?

This is where paid internships come in. They’re a great way to help you gain real exposure in a short amount of time so you can start exploring what kind of work you enjoy.

Managers are always looking for help with their workloads across departments like Marketing, Sales, Customer Support, Data, Operations and more. One common way they increase productivity is to hire paid interns or offer entry-level placements that usually last between 3 to 6 months.

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Here are 7 reasons why you should try an internship early in your career.

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1. Employers want new energy and fresh ideas in the team - that’s where you come in.

It can be easy for businesses to get stuck in their ways and resist change. As an intern, you can shake things up by bringing new ideas and fresh perspectives to help challenge the status quo. You can also help with brainstorming and problem-solving because you’re not bogged down by the day-to-day details of the job.

Alyssa shows initiative ensuring she can assist where required and despite only working Monday - Wednesday she is always across the detail of what's been going on.

- Harriet Nelligan, Hiring Manager @ Wpay (Woolworths)

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2. Some teams want flexible help, not full-timers.

Some teams don’t always need a full-time person all year round - it could depend on the project or the time of the year. A paid internship means the team can hire talented people on a part-time or short-term basis, while saving the business time and money. On the other hand, you’ll get access to flexible paid work that allows you to learn.

Some teams love their interns so much that they end up offering them a full-time job!

I have had the opportunity to work on a vast range of projects that have allowed me to better understand what I am passionate about. I’ve had a fantastic experience and it’s given me an avenue into an actual career.

- Vincent Mason, Past Marketing Intern @ Qantas (also hired permanently)

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3. Internships give you a taste of roles and different companies.

It can be scary jumping into a full-time job. If you’re curious about a specific role or company, but unsure what you’re signing up for - an internship has your name all over it. Within a short timeframe, an internship will help you:

• Discover what a role or project involves on a day-to-day basis;
• Add new skills and strengths to your experience;
• Learn what the team and company is like; and
• Decide whether you like any of the above!

Hatch helped me figure out what I didn’t want to do with my career. This wasn’t the learning I expected, but it helped me realise how much I missed working in startups and allowed me to develop conviction regarding my career choices.

- Alan Shen, Past intern @ Bupa in Sydney, now @ Pave in San Francisco, U.S.

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4. Teams usually need to get a lot of work done before the holidays - you can help!

A lot of teams are scrambling to get things done before the year ends, and sometimes they need extra help during the holidays too. They may hire interns to help take some of the pressure off their full-time employees during these times. If you’re still studying or in between permanent jobs, an internship may be great part-time work for you.

Otavio is proactive and in a short time has helped to clear a significant backlog of work.

- Daniel T., Hiring Manager @ Westpac

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5. Trying to get your foot in the door? Start with the basics.

From Marketing to Data, to Admin, Operations and even HR, managers have a long list of simple tasks that are perfect for interns to own. Teams need to get a lot of work done, but they usually don’t have the capacity to tackle it all, which is why they hire interns to support them. This is a great opportunity to get your foot through the door by starting with the basics.

My Hatch role provided me with my first exposure to the advertising world, which was an industry I was interested in pursuing a career in.

- Tracy T., Past Intern @ Ogilvy Health

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6. Teams want your love of tech and trends.

Do you already love your tech, social media and keeping up with trends? Now you can bring it to your work. Whether it’s TikTok, Blockchain, climate chain or current pop culture, a lot of teams are looking for interns to help them get creative, dive into the latest trends and stay ahead of the curve in their industry.

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7. Good employers want to help early career people like you.

Many successful team leaders believe in giving a bright young person the opportunity to get ahead in their career. After all, they were once in your shoes! There are a lot of employers out there that want to ‘give back’ by offering paid internships. This means young people have opportunities to learn from great leaders, and in return, it’s an awesome feeling for these leaders to know that they’re helping to shape someone’s career.

Hatch has had a huge impact helping us engage young talent in a new way, every Hatch intern we have hired has been incredibly impressive and add value to our business.

- Warren Davis, COO @ JP Morgan Australia

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Should you do an internship?

Every bit of experience can be valuable in your career. If you approach it with a ‘can-do’ attitude and deliver great results, you will have a solid reference for your next move.

Paid internships on Hatch are offered by a wide variety of teams from startups through to large organisations. The best part? They’re not exclusively open to just university students - these teams are looking for early career people who are motivated to make an impact in their careers.

Explore open roles or set up you career profile (it's free) to get matched to exciting opportunities based on your skills, interests and values.