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Saturday, January 1, 2011

Importance of Internships

Importance of Internships

By
Sakshi Education

intern is someone who works in a temporary position with an emphasis on on-the-job training rather than merely employment making it similar to an apprenticeship. Interns are usually college or university students seeking skills for a new career. Student internships provide opportunities for students to gain experience in their field, furthering their interests in a particular career and create a network of contacts of people interested in that field. Internships are generally work-based learning experiences involving students who have attended extensive college-based preparation relating to a career objective.

An internship is an agreement between a student and a company or an organization for a fixed period of time, such as a semester or a quarter. A student, normally, agrees to work for them on a specific activity and they agree to mentor and teach him; internships also offer valuable insight into a particular field or career. Although there are few companies which offer some fixed amount as stipend, of late many of the internships are unpaid. In this process many internships are organized through colleges and many companies go on to hire their successful interns full time. The students also will be willing to join as an intern because they may be absorbed into that company. India has become an important destination for international internship from several western developed countries since early 2000. Infosys is an example of quality international internship programs in India in the corporate sector for international students and youth.

Unlike most other countries, very few students in India pursue internships during their college. This is due to the fact that the education system in India is focused more on theory and on marks than on students gaining practical exposure. As a result, even companies in India do not use internships as a recruitment model, in contrast with more developed countries where internships are extensively used as a tool to recruit talent. However, this trend seems to be changing in the recent years because the students and the educational institutions seem to understand that internships provide an opportunity to work alongside professionals and learn from them, see how the theory that has been taught in the class rooms is being applied in real-life situations. In today's competitive job market it is not sufficient if a student is good enough in his subject or chosen field; he must be able to apply his knowledge and skill whenever the situation demands. This natura-lly requires more experience in the industry. This is exa-ctly where an internship is useful and makes a differ-ence. College internships are a great way to address both of those issues at the same time. Further college internships allow them to beef up their resume and make valuable industry contacts that can be essential to land in the ideal job upon completion of the course.

There are many companies offering internships. IT industry is one of the prominent one offering internships. For example, TCS had recruited 4,000 professionals in Hyderabad in 2007 and is looking at the same number this year too. 5% of its total intake comprises interns. Similarly, other software giants like IBM, WIPRO etc. are also offering internships. The details can be had from their respective websites.

Many departments in the state and central government organizations and industries are providing internship for the students to familiarize the students with the overall process and the structure of the department. Students should look into their various websites and information sources. Many companies belonging to different areas provide internship to market their products which gives the opportunity to know the current market trend.

Tips to find an internship:
There are many internship opportunities available for college students and a wide variety of resources available for the best places to find them. Here we list some possible ways and sources for finding them.

  • One of the best places to begin to search for internships is with the Career Services/Placement Office at your college. Career counselors can offer college students a variety of tips on places to find internships, especially if students are looking to work in a specific location or career field.

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