In any walk of life, nothing can substitute experience. No good grades, no certificates, and definitely not the degrees can take the place of the work that you have done hands-on. Every employer these days expects the fresh graduates to have at least some experience in the corporate space, having picked up the work ethos and professionalism.
From the very beginning of your post-school years, you may have seen a number of students working rigorously towards enhancing their skills by gaining ‘experience’ in the form of internships and volunteer experiences, which in turn make them more competitive in the job market.
The importance of doing internships in college years is indisputable. Here are five main ways that you will benefit immensely by doing an internship:
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Learn Professionalism
In the current scenario of employment worldwide, getting hold of a good job isn’t a cakewalk. You know it. Being an ardent student in class, a topper and your teachers; favourite is not going to bring your dream job at your doorstep – you know there are a thousand other people who are exactly like that, and there’s no way you stand out. Standing out, however, is important.
“You will have to step out to stand out”
An internship gives you the hands-on experience of any work environment. You get to tackle numerous problems in real time. There will be tasks and duties for you with a specific inexorable deadline. In the process of completing the duties successfully you will beat off various complications, work hard and get more professional. Won’t all of this actually make you stand out?
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Enhance Your Resume
Interviewers don’t take a minute to skim out your CV, until & unless it has something which grasps their attention. The logic is simple – recruiters want the best returns on the investment that they make by hiring an employe, and a candidate with a prior work experience will surely be at the top of their priority. That is why they prefer students who have got great internship experience over those who have not.
Do some productive internships and then it’s your chance to enhance your resume. Include your internships and list down the the skills acquired, tasks thrown to you, your contribution to that company, your result matrices and everything else about your internship (bragging, eh?). This will be a great attraction in your resume, and will surely interest the interviewers.
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Build a Network
We live in a global village, and you never know who can be of help at what time, especially in the corporate world. Your list of internships helps you here as well. In your internships you will get to meet new and amazing people, sometimes get introduced to really big people, and you get a chance to make it to their good books.
“it’s not about what you know, it’s about whom you know”.
While this one statement may not make a lot of sense to you, but this is how the jobs market works. When you know good people, you have already showcased your good work to them through an internship, it is highly likely that you will never be having a hard time finding a job. Many a times, a company you intern with, gives you a pre-placement offer, and you are up for a very bright future, just on the back of decision you made – to do an internship!!
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Test Your Career Plan
Well, a vast majority of undergraduates are not sure of their career plan up until the last year, when they actually find themselves in the middle of a job – many times a job that they hate! A profession may seem exciting at first sight, but it can later on turn into something that you are not at all passionate about.
Internships come as amazing opportunities to have a brief stint in each of the fields that you just might want to work in, in the future (remember, that bucket list?!). This will also help you to analyse if a specific field is something you could see yourself doing full time in future. Do internships – a lot of them, in a lot of different fields. In this process, your priorities might get completely jumbled, a desire to switch your current career path might arise, which is all for the best. Any decision that you take further, will have a component of experience in it – and that will make all the difference.
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The Finances Involved
While this may be the last thing to worry about for college goers (as per our parents), but we know, that we vouch for that financial freedom. After all, money matters. Many of the internships these days are paid, offering respectable amounts as monthly stipends. That way, internships give you an amazing opportunity give some financial backing to yourself, and have a life! In fact, it’s not even just about the money, but having money in hand also teaches you a lot of things – financial management, spendings, investments and savings! Can you imagine going through all of that learning, that too at a young age, in your college – any other way?
Internships are one of the best ways to learn everything that you are unable to, while sitting in the lectures. The importance of internships is such, that even the government is making internships mandatory for getting degrees.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab an internship this summer, give your all to it, and we bet you won’t regret that experience.
Wait! Looking for an internship this summer? We have internship’s for all! Attend Panjab University’s Intern Fair on 21st-22nd April at Chandigarh. For more info visit our Facebook Page and register here.
GET HIRED THIS SUMMER!
Entrepreneurship Development Cell 