The tizzy world of internships

Come vacations and there is a swarm of college students looking for “internships” to build up their curriculum vitae and work experience which complements their course, thereby cementing their careers.

An internship is basically a temporary hands on, on-the-job training undertaken by college students to gain real-world immersion in their chosen field with paid or unpaid experience. While these internships are mandatory for some college students and earn them college credits, others view them as an opportunity to get their shoes wet in the industry and acquire knowledge and expertise in their field.

While interning you can figure out whether you fit in the career you’ve chosen for yourself or you don’t. The organisations hone the skills of the interns by providing them real-time experience which inturn boosts their confidence. It also helps them in building a network of potential contacts. Apart from this, these internships also strengthen the resumes, which in turn is helpful when one starts searching for a full-time job.

This in a way helps in future when employers seek and look out for graduates who have some practical experience. But the only thing that bothers these students is the lack of a stipend (a form of salary for internship). While some crib about lack of money, other students are willing to add this feather of job experience to their resume, irrespective of the money factor.

“Internships allow us to gain confidence and get real-time job experience and it’s the most effective way of finding out if you like the industry and environment you’re working in,” says Ashwin Nair, a journalism student.

He adds, “It’s also mandatory in my course to get into a summer internship as it offers us subject credits. Stipend or no stipend, is not an issue” Sahil Banga, a student pursuing BBA, tells Metrolife, “It’s not mandatory for me to get an internship, but I am doing it anyway so that I can improve my skills and abilities. But the no-stipend policy is really what bothers at some point.”

While the student population is increasing day by day, so is the tension amongst the students to get an internship with reputed organisations. The selection criteria differ from firm to firm with personal interviews being the most sought after selection process. “The thing that bothers me the most is how people use personal contacts and recommendations to join a company thereby killing the opportunities of prospective candidates with right skills,” says Pranav Devgun, an 18-year-old internship seeker.

The reasons maybe many to seek an internship but its benefits are immense and seekers are large in number. Students are ditching their vacations and instead opting for real-time job experience which prepares them for real time experience which who knows  might even translate into a fulltime job!