I was just offered a position with College Works Painting as a local branch manager (intern) over the summer. If you’re not familiar with this internship or ones similar to it (I take it there are many including College Pro), basically they train you to manage a local branch of a painting company that paints residential homes. Interns market in their local area, provide estimates, work with customers, manage employees, etc. The internship requires basically the entire weekend every weekend for the rest of the spring semester (which is most of it).
I don’t doubt that I could do well in this internship. However, I do doubt that I would enjoy it considering the amount of stress it would place on me for my first internship. My main question is this: is the experience (I don’t care much about the money) worth the time, the effort, the stress, and the sacrifice (socially)? Or would I be better off going with a more traditional internship at a different company (i.e. a ‘real’ internship)? An adviser at my university essentially told me that it’s not the worst internship, but it’s not the best either. I value his opinion, but he’s only one person.
I suppose my ultimate career goals would be helpful. I want to end up in upper level management and hopefully an executive position at a medium or large company (not especially picky about the industry, although I am very interested in transportation and logistics, etc.). I am currently a junior economics major but am strongly considering switching to accounting or finance (which would put me behind at least one semester, probably 2 or 3). My main question is about the internship, though, not the major. Keep in mind, if the internship is not SIGNIFICANTLY better than a traditional internship, I would prefer not to do it. If it is, however, then maybe I will accept it.