Are you doing an internship? But you’re 34?!

Are you ever too old to do an internship? The short answer is no, you’re not.

As I am getting older and discussing with family, friends, or colleagues about internships and how they can be a great addition to any career, they are startled: “But you’re 34!”.

My answer to that is: “So?”. Of course...I then elaborate.

So, I thought, why not write something up. My first article!

With the current crisis, so many people around us are quitting their jobs for more fulfilling ones. Learning new skills is a big part of your career, for example by doing an internship. Let’s not kid ourselves, doing an internship after a certain age comes with hurdles. Your financial obligations are high, you might not be able to quit your job, and hiring managers are usually looking for fresh blood they can mold into their upcoming managers – while underpaying them. But I believe that there are many instances where doing an internship mid-career will make sense:

• You are looking for a new career
• You are rebooting an old career, maybe a passion of yours
• You want to freelance, and need advice
• You want to extend your network: never, ever forget the powerful impact of your network
• You are just passionate about a topic and have time and energy!
• It is FUN to learn new things

With that said, and my short experience (I have still so much to learn!), I think it is important to watch out. Set precise tasks and goals and a timeframe before starting an internship. Do not feel guilty or undermined to do or ask for trivial tasks. You will likely get responsibilities quickly. Do not forget you are arriving with years of experience and valuable contacts. And don't be shy to use the word ‘Intern’, you could spend weeks changing the word to something more impactful that sounds ‘cool’ on social media (Aaah LinkedIn profile title, how we love them). But in the end, it is the same: you are here to learn, and this is mostly ABOUT YOU.  

To those who face the challenge of learning something new after a certain age, a career break (whatever the reason): kudos to you, keep going!

As a recent show told us: “Try it before you deny it!”. And who knows, maybe this will give you the best job opportunities so far?

In Switzerland, there is a great qualification program when you are unemployed and qualified called "BNF", I strongly suggest you look into it: https://www.bnf.unibe.ch/index_eng.html