Think about starting a new job without background knowledge of where to commence. Now imagine a position where you are well-versed in that specific field and earned firsthand knowledge. So internship plays a vital role in one’s career. Experts believe that an internship offers an invaluable experience to determined students looking to establish a prosperous career.
However, the predecessor of today’s internship came to life in the 11th century. The previous interns were apprentices seeking practical experience to revamp their skill set in many domains. Today, students undertake internships during their college years to gain exposure outside the four walls of their classroom before stepping into the industry. Likewise, searching for an internship means that you can encounter professional experience in the field.
Here are a few points on how an internship is critical in a career:
Real-Life Experience
An internship signifies some real-life experience in your desired field. Attaining this experience allows you to construct your skillset, gain knowledge, and imply the theoretical knowledge you have been studying. There is a vast difference between education and knowledge. For instance, you get an education so that you can go out into the work world, but once you are out, collect your knowledge.
An internship is considered a professional setting. It enables you to work in a company to comprehend whether the desired field fits you. But if you feel that the internship is not aligned with your skills anymore, there is nothing to lose because you have gained beneficial experience. The internship is experiential learning for students to realize their potential and make a good career choices for themselves.
The add-on benefit is that you are exposed to a new environment. Shifting to a new community means unknown faces and the environment. Furthermore, it gives the taste of the professional world without the same stress and pressure associated with a full-time career.
Opportunity For Self-Analysis
Accomplishing something on an everyday basis allows you to discover more about yourself. Therefore working in a new and professional atmosphere will facilitate you to learn about your goals and ambitions. It is only possible if you have opted for an internship before starting your career. Sometimes it might happen that you have already decided on your desired career, but later, when you get there, your expectations are not met.
Simultaneously, an internship lets you decide on the right career choice according to your abilities and interests.
Grow Your Professional Network
Networking has earned a bad name. Sometimes, people misinterpret it as an opportunistic practice that lacks realism. At the same time, others have opposite opinions, like unimportant small conversations and imagining for begging favors. The rest believe that it is an exchange of information with strangers. Well, an internship gives you a platform to build your first professional network.
Once an intern is stepped into the internship, they are surrounded by experienced people. During their internship, interns can build their network and mingle with others in the same domain.
Networking is a crucial step in the career world. Someday your networks can bring you good fortune in your career. Therefore maintaining healthy and professional relations can be fruitful.
The Transition
In today’s scenario, getting a job as a fresher is quite challenging. But if you have completed your internship, it gives a kickstart to your career. The company has invested in you, so you may get a permanent job following the internship if you are skilled.
Feedback
Feedback is essential for improvement. Therefore receiving feedback from your mentors helps you to enhance your performance. However, the theories taught in the classroom are different from applying them to real-life situations. Always take productive criticism and learn from it to improve your skills for your future endeavors. Another important thing is to willingness to learn and own mistakes. The internship offers you all the experience which will make you industry-ready. Working gives you an edge over people who have not participated in an internship opportunity.
The Impact
Completing an internship can have a notable impact on your future career. The internships can be unpaid or paid internships offered by many firms. After the pandemic, the new normal for internships emerged in the market i.e, online internships. Companies started offering online internships with stipends or free online internship programs to the students. It was pretty challenging at first for both the company and students. Later it was accepted due to lockdowns. According to the reports from India Skills Report, 2019 revealed that internship is not the only factor determining employability, but it is a critical factor.
Furthermore, the report focused on the significance of being able to unlearn some things and then re-learn them. It is vital to keep revamped on the latest developments in the preferred field.
The road ahead
Now the importance of internships is not only for students but also for employers. Today employers look for candidates with prior experience in the field. Internships enable companies to invest in their future success and locate new talent and future leaders. It gives more weightage to the resume and sets you apart from the pool of candidates. Interns can discuss their contribution to the project, giving a clear idea to the employer that they are responsible and dedicated.
Hiring interns includes providing employees with a new perspective on organizational problems. With interns escort fresh ideas for business, along with valuable input on the latest scenarios. As internships have made the candidate industry-ready by learning new skills and tools to enhance the company’s growth. In addition, it is a great way to uncover new talents and fill up vacant positions. However, not every intern is going to turn into an employee.
As a result, companies seek people who have proved themselves as hard workers. They want people who will follow instructions and do not care to surpass boundaries. Also, someone who can help them smoothly run the companies. Therefore, companies should focus on getting motivated interns and willing to learn.
Likewise, ULead is an internship program for students to upskill themselves while reinventing learning and transforming lives with us. Our motive is to empower students to become industry-ready through courses and internships.
