From intern to professional: Top benefits of an internship program

Internships act as a steppingstone and offer a wealth of networking and opportunities to learn, grow, and bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical skills. Adobe's internships offer university students the opportunity to work side by side with tech’s most forward-thinking innovators and mentors, working in lockstep to change the world through digital experiences. Our interns become part of a community that values their perspective, respects their opinions, and champions their best ideas.

We spoke to our latest cohort of 2023 interns in Australia to learn about their experiences and shine a light on why internships are so beneficial to help early career talent prepare to conquer the competitive job market.

Exposure to a real working environment

Often, what you learn at university doesn’t easily or directly translate over to the workplace and that’s where the internship experience steps in. Internships offer students the ability to gain real work experience, understand different roles across a company, and gain exposure to different responsibilities and expectations to set them up for success after graduation. Interns at Adobe work on business-critical projects, are mentored by top talent in their field, and encouraged to speak up and contribute ideas to dream up the next big thing.

“The exposure I received from my internship gave me first-hand experience of what it’s like to work in a corporate environment in my field of interest”, sales operation intern Jericho Avedillo reflected.

Networking opportunities

Internships are one of the best ways to start growing your professional network. Interns get to interact with people from many different departments and levels within the organization, allowing them to begin to build a diverse network of contacts.

“The opportunity to meet and network with new people, and the visibility and exposure you get across the business are awesome. Official internship programs like the one at Adobe are great as there’s usually a cohort of people who are in the exact same boat as you, so you don’t feel as though you’re walking the path alone and there are so many opportunities to grow your professional network.”

- Hannah Vogel, Solution Account Manager Intern, Adobe

Having a strong professional network can help lead to mentorships, job referrals, and industry insights and building these connections during an internship can prove to be highly advantageous in your career journey. The Adobe internship offers a packed program that includes networking within the company, meeting new people at events and other company wide gatherings. Once the internship is over, our interns continue to invest time into nurturing the relationships formed as they plan the next steps in their career.

Personal growth

Finally, an internship can help identify, develop and improve various skills, including technical skills specific to the industry and your focus area and soft skills like communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and time management. In the Adobe program, we have a curated learning and development path with sessions on building your brand, strengths finder and others to help interns gain these valuable skills. Erica Moon, ANZ marketing intern, shared that “the Adobe Internship program has exposed me to new situations, challenges and perspectives, which has helped broaden my skillset and growth”.

These skills will not only make interns more valuable to potential employers but also help them become more confident and effective individuals in any work environment.

Internships are a fantastic way to get your career kickstarted, check out our university careers page to learn more about our program and make the move from university to Adobe.