An Intern’s Expectations from Employer
We have read a lot of interesting successful internship stories, right? But ask Hemant Kumar, a final year Computer Science Engineering student, about it and he would tell you the reasons he detests those days. With the ever increasing number of employable graduates and consequently the cut-throat competition, internships are the easiest way to secure a job. But on the flip side, this has given the companies a lot of liberty to hire hands for work without caring much about the interns. In economic terms, since the supply has rocketed, the demand has relatively plummeted.
A lot has been said about what employers seek from an intern. So let us now focus our attention on what the interns expect from their employers. Here’s a list-
1. Future prospect of a Full Time Job- Like we mentioned earlier, internships are the easiest way in to a company unless, of course, you are the Ambanis or the Birlas or the Wadias. Pre Placement Offer or PPO, as it is fondly called, is a dream come true for any student. Who would not want to be placed even before the placement season has begun and that too at a place he/she has worked before?
2. A lot of real world exposure- It is one of the primary reasons why students prefer internships over training. Employers, now-a-days, have started recruiting according to the skill set developed by a student instead of the bookish technical knowledge. An internship stint at a company transforms the embryonic view that any intern has of his/her field to a holistic one, thus increasing the chances of procuring a job.
3. Beefing up the portfolio- Getting a letter of recommendation from a mentor creates a very good impression of an intern in the minds of a prospective employer. Interns generally look up to their mentors to provide a real account of what he/she is capable of, their achievements, their conduct and how he/she could benefit any organization. In specific cases, such as web designing or editorial internships, interns could show their works to the interested employers by including links to the websites they have developed or to the articles they’ve written.
4. Building networks- A student/potential employee has no better way of knowing the who’s who in an industry/ company. Knowing the right people can, many times, aid one land a job. Interns look to address the social aspect of employability during their term of internship.
5. A healthy stipend- Unpaid internships are less preferred by students because most of them cannot afford to work for free. A compensation for their work boosts their motivational levels and gives them a sense of having job, which goes a long way in honing their skills.
6. Flexible work schedule- Most students who do internships during their semesters look out for internships with flexible timings. Since they have to balance their internships with college classes, they opt for companies which could tweak the normal 9-5 office hours to favour their timings.
7. Affiliation in an organization- An intern never likes to feel left out. It’s a huge turn off for any serious intern. Asking them to participate in a brainstorming session or allowing them to sit through a formal meeting can make them feel that they are valuable. Need we say how much this bolsters their motivation and confidence at their task?
8. Effective Mentoring– In most cases, an intern has no idea about what exactly he/she will be doing. Moreover, if an intern is assigned a particular role in an assignment, most likely an intern would feel the nerves with every step that he/she takes. So giving an intern a detailed guidance initially would somewhat allay the nervousness and in turn, would spike the productivity. It is equally important to give them enough freedom to work as they slowly settle in the organization. Giving regular feedback is essential for the development of any intern.
An intern could be a real asset. A company could attract top talents and have them ‘tested and tried’ in pragmatic conditions without actually giving them an official job through internship programs. Thus, it is only fair to acknowledge some expectations of the interns too, if not all.
If you’re an looking to hire interns, post an internship on Internshala.
