Eagerness to learn and dedication are the stepping stones of a successful internship
“Self-learners and those who show eagerness to learn will have a bright future in the education sector. The zeal to take part in various projects during undergraduate life of a student would have strong positive impact on his/her career”, says Saurabh Basantani, co-founder of TAO Education. Below are the excerpts of our conversation with him on the subject –
Q. What is your philosophy behind having an internship programme at TAO Education?
The major reason behind having an internship programme at TAO Education is, there are always students who are keen to work in the management sector, and ours is also an educational venture. Interning with an educational venture — which is trying to uplift the quality of education using technology – gives students a glimpse of how technology can be used to redefine the whole learning methodology. We strive to provide an excellent learning program to our interns, and this certainly helps them boost their academic and professional life in the best possible manner.
Q. Have you ever done any important project in which interns played a critical role? Please elaborate.
Well, I can’t recall any specific example; but we usually hire interns to work on various projects (related to content development, sales, marketing, etc.). We do ensure that we provide our interns ample opportunities to learn, and also that they quality work which adds value to our venture. So far, we have been successful in providing an overall learning experience to the interns who have been a part of our team as every intern is led by one of the co-founders so that they are well-trained professionally and guided constantly. Suitable resources are provided to the respective interns for a complete learning experience.
Q. While hiring interns, what are the skills/attributes that you look for in a candidate?
Passion to learn and zeal to contribute are the two main skills that we look for in a candidate. A student eager to learn never gives up, and this is what motivates him/her to take up more challenging tasks. According to me, these are the main attributes which makes a particular candidate stand out among the crowd.
Q. Have you ever made mistakes while hiring and ended up hiring totally wrong candidate(s)? What were those mistakes? And in your opinion, what are the common pain points of intern hiring?
Yes, we have ended up selecting a few wrong candidates in the past. Few of the applicants who came for the interview, showed initial interest and zeal but when selected, they quit within a week as they had different expectations – which were not suitable for the role – and some just turned up for monetary gains, but we didn’t mind them much. Had they stayed on board, we couldn’t have provided them a good learning experience due to lack of sincerity on their part.
In my opinion, identifying a sincere student who would commit himself/ herself to the tasks allotted up to their potential is the common pain point while hiring interns.
Q. A message that you would like give to the companies/start-ups running internship programmes?
For any start-up or a company running internship programme, I would suggest that it is important to specify the role of an intern properly beforehand, and communicate the same to applicants. This would encourage sincere students, who are really willing to be a part of the internship programme, to apply. In my view, an internship is a learning opportunity, and if such kind of environment is created, it can be a win-win situation for both the parties.
Q. What is your message to students who are looking for internships?
My message to students is that one should not stick to just a single internship rather take part in a couple of internship programmes during graduation or post-graduation. This will help in choosing the right career option, as one can decide on the best suitable career option only after exploring different learning experiences.
If you’re an employer and want to share your experience of running an internship programme, or want to hire interns for your own organization, drop a line at shadab@internshala.com. We’d love to hear from you.
Are you an employer looking for interns? Hire interns through Internshala; it’s free and hassle-free.
