Internships are extremely important for any budding student to get a grip on how to manage themselves in a professional environment and when they finally get jobs, and for mechanical engineers, this is especially important because of various reasons. Here's a few!

1. Industry experience 

The Mechanical industry isn't the average IT job where you sit in front of a computer all day to write code. A lot goes on behind the scenes in the industry and you, as a student, will give yourself an edge over your peers by working with professionals on their own turf and understanding how the industry works. This is the most precious commodity you can take back with you once the internship is done: the experience. 

2. Work Ethic  

Chances are if you've actively hunted for an internship, you more likely than not are proactive and willing to put your hours in for work. However, even if you're not, an internship in the industry is a great way of drilling work ethic into you. Respect for your colleagues and for the machines will only increase, thus making sure you are ready to take on your roles effectively. 

3. Hands on with the best  

If you manage to score a great internship in a prestigious company, you will get to work with some of the brightest minds in the industry, thus enabling you to learn from them directly. 

4. A bounce board for your career  

An internship will be the highlight of your resume. Successfully completing an internship shows to potential employers than you are trustworthy and already have experience, which goes on to say you understand the work ethic and how to manage yourself in a professional environment. Candidates like that are valuable picks for any company. 

5. Networking  

A few points over this week discussing internships for various branches of engineering will be similar, this is one of them. Having access to the industry also means you have access to the people who are connected to more people, allowing you to build a network. Networking as a working professional can be extremely beneficial, and should be a priority for any fresher to the industry.