Internships prove to be a great way of enhancing your employability and prepare you for the challenges of the corporate world.
There is a mis-conception amongst many undergraduates that they should attempt to search for an internship just before they graduate. Although, there are many reasons which make them feel this way, however, the most common one proves to be that by this stage of their university lives, they should have an idea of what they expect from their own future.
We have a question here, why do students require this ‘clarity’ regarding their future at the very beginning of their ‘future’? Why not before?
When on the verge of being graduating, you should have a concrete understanding of what job profile you want to take up a profession, where you want to work, and what is the remuneration you should be awarded. Having complete answers to these questions before graduating is imperative, to carve out a successful career.
Mentioned below are some tips that you might help in your career journey:
Career Fairs
If your institution organises are career fair, cease the opportunity and go down for a visit! There is a high possibility that the uncertainties that you have regarding your career, all will be cleared as you walk through the different booths. A career fair is more of a talent scout fair, and who knows you might land yourself a job even before you finish studies?
Tip: Dress accordingly. First impressions count.
Embark on Company Visits
What will be more exciting than seeing your potential future workspace? Many institutions, and even some organisations conduct corporate tours and visits to impart students with first hand company culture experience. This can be a great opportunity to interact with employers and gain a deeper understanding of what kind of candidates they look forward to welcoming in their sphere. This will be beneficial in updating your CV, and skill-sets that match the favourable candidate criteria of your desired employer.
Tip: Do not emphasise on giving your CV by hand, as employers promote equal opportunity to everyone and this might be unfair on their part to accept your CV this way.
Choose Wisely
If this will be your first internship, we would recommend to do it in SMEs or Start-ups. Big organisations keep expectations from candidates. There is a high probability that you might be assigned work straight from your induction. SMEs and Start-ups are although rigorous, as they are still in developing stage however they themselves are in the learning stage of their business, and you will be able to easily blend in their culture.
Tip: People working in SMEs and Start-ups command a salary premium over people working in big organisations. Well, why not? Developing a product from scratch is bigger task than maintaining that product.
