How I transformed from a homemaker to a writer through a virtual internship
About the Author: Maneesha Mathias is a homemaker who quit her job post marriage. She shares how she restarted her career with a virtual internship after 25 years.
I graduated in commerce some 25 years ago and worked at a stockbroker firm in a data entry profile till I got married. After the marriage, I stayed at home to take care of my new family; however, due to a sudden turn of events in my life, I decided to follow a spiritual path and become an evangelist. I loved this job since it brought me satisfaction and had limited work hours, which made it possible for me to spend enough time with my children.
After almost 20 years, I started finding quite some free time at my disposal and desires began to sweep in. I had been preaching in my mother tongue which made me feel as if I was losing my command over English. I should also tell you that I always had a hidden desire to write. So, one fine day when I heard my daughter, who is pursuing engineering, talk about internships, I asked her if Internshala, the portal on which she was looking for internships, had any opportunities for women. She replied in affirmative and encouraged me to register on the portal.
I created an account, filled in my educational details, and applied to internships in content writing. Soon enough, I received a communication from an organisation named ONDMC, an online news website. The selection process there was quite simple; they asked me to log into their website and post a video or a picture. Once they were certain that I could do so, they hired me. My job was to compose a 300-word news write-up which entailed reading different news items on various websites and reproduce the same in my own words. Initially, I found it a little difficult to juggle between the household chores and the internships and had to spend a few nights working to meet the deadlines. However, I settled in soon enough and managed the work in a much efficient manner. The editor of the website was quite helpful, and he made sure that my internship was full of learning. At the end of my two-month internship, I was given a certificate and a stipend. This novel experience proved to be amazing for me; it was something I truly enjoyed.
I would like to thank Internshala for helping me utilise my time and learn even after so many years of graduating from college. I look forward to applying to many more internships of my choice.
Do you also have some free time on your hand and a bag full of aspirations? Then, what are you waiting for? Apply to these internships for women and (re)start your career.
