By Vaidyanathan Vaidy Jayaraman
Any good Institute that offers a high quality degree program would always incorporate an internship requirement before their students graduate. There are several questions to keep in mind before you choose an internship program.
1) Is it paid or unpaid – This could be a critical part of your decision to take advantage of this opportunity to work on an internship. However, it is important to keep in mind that an internship is a great way to obtain some experience working in the real world, on a real project, with real people and provide a fruitful solution. It matters not whether you’re getting paid – what really matters is whether the experience you’re going to obtain during the internship is going to put you in a better position to obtain a full time job upon graduation
2) Get to know your key responsibilities – A good internship usually gives the intern a clear, unambiguous, and direct set of responsibilities. By completing the task on time and within the forecasted budget, the intern will increase their chance to obtain a pre‐placement offer to continue their role on a full time basis after graduation.
3) Opportunity to network – “Your network is your net‐worth.” You have to figure out whether the internship is going to help you broaden your list of contacts (network). Will the internship allow you to meet as many people as possible is a question to keep in mind when you pick and choose the engagement.
4) Skills that you will obtain – You will have to decide the type of skills that you’re going to gain while you’re interning. A good internship will help you obtain the right type of skills that would help you find the right kind of job with the right company upon graduation. Skills such as team‐work, project management and relationship building are highly sought out by companies. Hence, researching into the type of skills that you would gain will help you in the long run. Additionally find out whether the company has mentoring programs for interns while gaining the required training and support to perform well during the duration of the internship.
5) Amount of effort taken by the company – Today’s workplace promotes a collaborative and team (together everyone achieves more) oriented culture. It is important to gauge the amount of thought and effort that a
company has taken to put together the internship requirements – for example, does the internship align well with the company’s vision and mission. Additionally, what is the company culture – does it include a dress code, weekly team meetings, key deliverables, access to office perks and interaction with top management.
6) Make it count – A successful internship can be the beginning of a successful career path. During this journey, it is important to develop a healthy relationship with your supervisor. Some are very helpful while others taken on a hands‐off approach. While all of them are busy with their projects, you should not be afraid to ask questions and get maximum exposure with the top management of the organization.
It’s all about your willingness to go the extra mile and get involved in every aspect of your project. Uncertainties are inevitable, worrying is optional and planning is paramount. Internships give a wonderful opportunity to get you ready for the real world. At the end of the day, make your internship count.
The author is global dean, UG, professor, Supply Chain Operations, Data Sciences and Analytics, at SP Jain School of Global Management. Views are personal.
