Introduction
While learning is an integral part of one’s journey, the process remains incomplete without the real-world experience that you can achieve through internships. It helps you learn the tricks of the trade, build a network and understanding the professional working ecosystem.
Probably you know the basics of an internship and how it can fetch you good grades during your college days. However, what most of us miss out is the reason to have an internship as a part of our curriculum, its important benefits and how it enhances our learning process. Internships are a part of the college academia across all subjects, streams and institutions as they have become growingly important because of the following reasons.
What is an internship?
The modern concept of an internship has evolved from the medieval apprenticeship, where a skilled laborer, often a craftsman, would take on and teach a young person their trade. It allows you to gain professional exposure and learn the dynamics of working within an organization, learning the work structure and the etiquettes.
Types of internships:
There are two main types of internship: ones that are paid and ones that are not. Most internships are unpaid. This is because the student is not there to earn money, but rather to earn valuable knowledge and experience. If an internship is unpaid, it is usually subject to stringent labor guidelines.
The extended categorization includes the following:
- Short term internships lasting only from one to six months
- Summer internship programs
- Internships with Small or Start-Up Business
- Year-long internships cum placement opportunities
- Virtual internships
Let us take a look at the benefits of an internship:
- An internship can provide a student with paid professional work experience in a safe and structured environment with help from experts.
- You can practice and improve your industry skills while also learning how to work.
- Internships help students master professional soft skills such as communication, punctuality and time management, apart from gaining industry exposure.
- At an internship, a student can learn what the roles and responsibilities of a particular career are from people working in the field.
- Having successfully completed an internship makes a job candidate more attractive to employers.
- An internship can help a student start to build a professional network that can be a resource for the student.
- Completing an internship also makes a student a more attractive candidate for colleges and scholarships.
- An internship can help a student decide if a particular career is a good match for their personality, lifestyle, passions, and goals.
- Your chances of getting professional and positive recommendations can help you land a full-time job role in the company.
Here are the most common types of internships for computer science and engineering students:
- Front-End Engineering Intern
- Back-End Engineering Intern
- Full-Stack Software Engineering Intern
- Information Security Intern
- Mobile Engineering Intern
- iOS Engineering Intern
- Data Analyst Intern
- Data Engineering Intern
- Android Engineering Intern
- Product Management Intern
Top platforms to search for internships are listed below:
- Glassdoor
- Google (Search)
- Internshala
- College’s Alumni Network
There has been a steep rise in the number of internship positions over the past six years, says a study by Internship and training platform Internshala. As the world around them changes, interns and the companies that hire them need to focus on new skills that can keep them agile. It is the intangible qualities that will continue to set top interns apart in the next year.
Ways to get an internship:
- Refine your resume
- Make independent and group projects
- Impeccable knowledge about latest tools and technologies
- Keep applying to national and international platforms and companies
We hope that this article has helped you understand the scenario of internships and why it is important for you to undertake one today and also read about how you can get placed in a product-based company.
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