It is recruiting season for us business students, which means you are most likely on the internship hunt. You might be spending a ton of time filling out tons of applications, attending pre-interview reception events, networking with company employees, and perfecting every single little thing to distinguish yourself from the other candidates.

However, getting an interview is only half the battle. The way you present yourself and demonstrate your value is what will allow you to attain that goal of acquiring the internship position. One key factor that plays a significant role throughout this process is your level of involvement.

There are so many reasons why you, as a student, should become involved, whether it is in your school, community, etc. So what are some of these so called benefits?

• Build your resume to get rid of any extra white space

• Develop essential skills that are transferrable to every profession

• Network with professionals and other peers

• Give your time to make a positive impact in the community

But there is one benefit that stands out to me the most: It gives you something to talk about.

Picture this: You’re called into the room for your interview. You’re nervous and anxious from not knowing what to expect from the interviewer sitting in front of you. The last thing you want to do is not having anything to talk about when they ask:

Besides your coursework, what else do you partake in?

How would you characterize your leadership style?

Tell me a time when you had to resolve a team conflict.

What is the proudest accomplishment you have on your resume?

The more involved you are outside the classroom, the more confident you can feel about answering these questions without searching deep in your mind for answers or feeling the pressure of concocting a story up.

Now is your chance to get involved and share it proudly.