https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/do-you-know-what-internship-stands-how-benefits-vidhu-bhardwaj
In today’s competitive world, starting a professional career overseas is quite tough, however, not impossible. In order to acquire the first professional job, it is extremely important for all international students to get an internship during or after the graduation. Not only can you learn about local workplace culture, but you can also earn a good reference and recognition in the industry.
According to ‘The Telegraph’, students with internship experience are three times more likely to win a job as compared to those students who have no experience.
There are numerous merits of the internship, provided one takes the full advantage of it. Let’s see what internship stands for and how it can be beneficial to all students, especially international students.
I – Impeccability – Internship gradually drives you towards being impeccable. As supervisors give the straightforward and clear feedback, interns tend to learn more skills and improve their existing abilities. This can progressively make them flawless in certain tasks.
N – Noteworthy Experience – It is an undeniable fact that internships provide an opportunity to gain practical experience. While studying, most of the knowledge we gain is theoretical and it is hard to use that understanding in real situations at workplace. Thus, an internship is the best place to learn the practical skills with proper guidance.
T – Training – Industrial training via internship is really crucial. It nurtures students’ learning ability and performance. Training brings exposure to day in and day out issues of an organization. Internship actually trains you for your future employment.
E – Engagement with Stakeholders – Working on a given project at an internship enables students to build their stakeholders engagement skills. They learn how to deal with different types of clients as well as colleagues. This is again a great opportunity for international students to get along with different stakeholders and learn about the workplace culture in more depth.
R – Ready for Real – There is no doubt that an internship prepares students for the job, which they are going to attain eventually. It is a time when interns can prepare themselves for their actual full-time employment.
N – Narrow down – As most of the graduates carry a long list of potential career options as per the units they have learned so far while studying, internships narrow down those career choices to the most suitable ones. It can assist you in defining your career path. You will get to know about your real passion during the internship.
S – Self-confidence – Having an internship after or during the studies actually boosts up the student’s confidence. Those international students who have local relevant experience and are aware of the local workplace environment can handle any job interview with more confidence.
H – Helps build a bridge – Internship assists in building a bridge between education and employment. It is quite difficult for international students to gain their first professional job after completing their studies, so internship programs are helpful in building a bridge which can lead them to a professional career.
I – Impressive on Résumé – With only overseas experience, it is sometimes hard to get shortlisted in the hiring process. However, a job application with a local internship experience on it looks more impressive. There are much higher chances of getting a job if the student has an internship experience.
P – Professional Development – Last but not least, professional development is a most crucial component of any career. A continuous professional development contributes to student’s success. Internship empowers professional plus personal development. Students can gain both technical as well as transferable skills during their internship period.
According to Bloomberg’s report 2016, 55.7% of the students got the job at the same company where they did their internship.
Conclusively, internships are truly beneficial for international students, if they really want to start a professional career in a foreign country. Just remember this old saying, "Well begun is half done".
Tip for International students: You should also develop your professional network by attending relevant professional events. You may refer to my previous article,Best Networking Practices for the Students of ACS Professional Year Program.
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