A major problem that students face when they apply for entry level jobs is the lack of a job experience. But this problem can be very much solved by taking an effective internship program. An internship is an official program that is offered by a company or an employer to the aspiring employees. An internship is a structured work experience related to a student’s major and/or career goal. It’s an experience that enhances a student’s academic, career, and personal development. The concept of an internship has evolved from medieval apprenticeship where a skilled laborer would take on and teach a young person their trade. In exchange for being taught a trade, the apprentice would give the consent to work for a specified length of time. An intern may be found working in a company as a part time or full time for a specified period of time. Internships are both paid and unpaid ones but most of the internships are unpaid. Internships are very critical for the students who need to gain valuable work or research experience. Most of the professional courses have made it mandatory for students to take an internship program for the completion of their degrees. The student is not there to earn money, but rather to earn valuable knowledge and experience.
Nowadays employers prefer candidates who could easily stand out from the crowd. Students aspiring for good jobs must complement their academic strengths with a range of other experiences such as being involved in community services, developing research experiences, participation in curricular and co-curricular activities and undertaking internships etc.
An internship offers candidates the chance to learn by doing in a setting where they are supervised by a work-place mentor and have the opportunity to achieve their own learning goals. The interns learn job traits easily without any pressure and the responsibilities of being a permanent employee. They learn new skills and add to their knowledge base while gaining more confidence in their abilities. They find enough opportunities to practice communication and teamwork skills. They will also gain industry knowledge first hand from an organization and professionals. The internships help students to apply some of their ideas learned in the academic institute and provide a bridge between academic institute and the professional world. They develop a strong sense of accomplishment by contributing to an organization.
Internships also offer strengths to establish a network of professional contacts, mentors, and references. It helps achieve valuable experiences and accomplishments for the candidates to add to their job resume and/or enhance their applications for the higher studies and the research positions. Internships can create a significant impact over other applicants for job positions and the higher studies. Internship experience makes students more marketable as they usually require less training and costs. They have an edge over others to handle job pressures and deadlines. If the internship is done meticulously, there is a chance for a full-time job offer at the end of the internship. Interns may also receive a good salary than those who do not have internship experiences. Internships build confidence and make students job fit and ready…..
(Dr. Shahid Amin Trali – Assistant Professor, ITM University Gwalior.Educator at Unacademy , can be contacted at [email protected]. the views express are authors personnel)
