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January 28, 2007
Learning what counts
“PERHAPS the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the things you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not.” (Thomas Huxley)
Gone are the days when the term “internship” was alien to students or even educationists. Colleges and universities back then would produce unskilled and untrained graduates who had no idea how to deal with professional problems on a day-to-day basis. As a result of this, a huge gap existed between what companies wanted from their employees and what was being produced in educational institutes.
Fortunately, however, the trend has now changed as academic institutions are somewhat producing graduates that meet the requirements of recruiting agencies. The fact of the matter is that every student possesses the aptitude for different things, so it is not surprising that s/he would want to hone his/her skills before the career takes off. Thus, internships provide students with an opportunity to gain experience in the profession of their choice. The misconception that internships divert the focus of students from their chosen path, or even the academics for that matter, is quite rampant. For instance, a future economist can intern in banks or the finance departments multinational companies as well as financial policy-making institutes before applying his/her skills professionally.
Therefore, it is necessary to understand the real spirit of internship which actually prepares students for their future careers. Internship is a generic term for workplace learning for a specified period of time, for which a student may or may not be paid.
In simple terms, an internship is defined as a period of time in which a student or fresh graduate gains supervised practical experience. The work can be full or part-time, on or off-campus, paid or unpaid. In this way, a working student becomes a learner whereas the place where such work or skill is obtained becomes a learning centre. Hence, an internship is a learning contract which outlines the expectations and responsibilities of students while providing them job-specific skill development.
Internships are undertaken either during the academic term or in the summer (semester break); however, there is no hard and fast rule for internships as the company decides when to recruit students.
The question is why would a student opt for an internship and what can it actually do for them? Simply put, an internship helps students become competitive potential employees, along with acquiring professional skills. It also helps them decide whether or not the career path they have chosen is right for them and establish connections with experienced professionals in the field.
Application process
It is difficult to find a suitable internship as few students are accepted by the companies of their choice. Of course, students must not lose heart and should keep their spirits up when applying for an internship. One needs to remember that the competition is severe and the recruiting officers look for well-rounded individuals when selecting interns. Thus, it is important to contact as many potential employers and set up as many interviews as possible in order to increase your chances of being an intern.
It is important to mention here that while most internships exist for the sole purpose of nurturing budding professionals, there are others which serve to provide the employer with free labour. Therefore, make sure you are going to get what you need out of an internship. From looking for the right company to market demand and system evaluation to learning from the experience of former interns of the company to which you have applied, an internship can only prove to be valuable if you know what you want.
For students, it is necessary to prove their ability to work under pressure and this commitment should be mentioned in their resumes or cover letters so that the odds are in their favour.
Selection process
If a company hires you as an intern, you should keep in mind a few things before deciding to accept it:
• The offer should be accepted in writing which contains details such as the duration of your internship, remuneration if any, job description and the department in which you are required to work.
• In case of multiple offers, categorise them in order of importance. Choose the one which suits your profession rather than the one which gives you temporary benefits and is unrelated to your future career.
• To be on the safe side, while giving an interview for an internship, feel free to ask questions. For instance, the specific projects and/or activities that you will be working on, whether or not there will be a final evaluation before the internship ends and what standards will be used to gauge your performance?
Remember, the process of accepting or rejecting a given offer should be swift and should be based on professional ethics because you may actually end up working for that company for good. Thus, it is better to build bridges rather than burn them.
Success
An internship is a rewarding experience only for students who want to learn during their training period. To determine whether or not you have actually learnt something from your internship, you should ask yourself the following questions:
1. Have you learnt anything about the modus operandi of the organisation?
2. Has it developed your ability to make decisions quickly?
3. Has it given you an idea about goals, team work, timely implementation and thorough utilisation of available resources?
4. Have you learnt anything about decisions, policies and procedures specific to a work environment?
5. Has it developed your professional skills in any way?
6. Have you learnt anything about the mentor-protege relationship?
7. Do you know how to integrate theory with practical work?
8. Have you learnt anything about work ethics?
All professional work experiences, regardless of their length or duration, are sure to attract the attention of a future employer. Remember, the most important thing you will have learnt from this experience is the ability to perform your tasks within your profession, which is considered essential by most employers. No doubt, it will add value to your resume and give you an edge over the competition when applying for jobs.
Internships can affect your career in many ways as it improves one’s ability to exceed in his/her chosen career path. Remember, among the other learning objectives, you must also be able to determine whether or not an internship has helped you make a decision about your career.
The writer is a freelance contributor
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