Employers should make sure interns get ample opportunities to learn- YouthkiAwaaz

A firm believer in the concept of internships, Anshul Tewari, Founder and CEO of YouthKAwaaz, says an internship shouldn’t be looked upon as a mere boost to one’s CV. They are rather an add on to both the professional and personal life of a student. Below are the excerpts of the brief talk we had with him.

IS: What is the philosophy behind the internship programs offered by YouthkiAwaaz?

Anshul: Youth plays a very important role in a country’s growth. Indian students lack the ability to write and express about issues and express themselves. Schools have not been able to teach them to express things they strongly feel about. Our internship program basically aims to create a platform for young people to train themselves and improve their skills to express themselves.

IS: How much has been the contribution of interns to your company? Is there any task/project which interns initiated or played a very significant role in?

Anshul: We have an extensive internship program through which around 1800-2000 students have trained themselves since 2010. Since the internship program runs year long, these interns have a very big contribution in the content of the site.

We had a recent election campaign in collaboration with our interns. A team of 3-4 interns was exclusively working on the coverage of issues on elections. They worked for the campaign from the start to its execution which also later found a coverage in TIME Magazine.

IS: Owing to the extensive work from home internship programs that you offer, could you tell us how do you manage it and make sure the right interns are hired? Also, could you tell us more about the scope in these work from home opportunities?

Anshul: Our internship program requires a lot of focus in its execution. We only hire interns who are ready to dedicate time and be fully committed to work from home. In general, we get good interns who take up to learning and do their jobs really well once given the responsibility.
These kind of internships require a lot of dedication and sincerity. There are a lot of such opportunities, but some of the employers take them as freelancing. Also, some of the programs do not have a strong curriculum. While applying for these internships, students should make sure that they are not getting free lanced, and their work is valued by the employers hiring them.

IS: Most of the internship opportunities these days are applicable to students from all streams. What, in your opinion, are the major take-aways for students taking a cross stream internship?

Anshul: The students could get to learn diverse skills, different from those that they can develop academically. This adds to their overall individual personality. Five years down the line, skills learnt through these internships could be collaborated with their individual skills which would definitely prove to be very useful.

IS: Any message to employers looking to hire interns for their companies/startups ?

Anshul: Employers should acknowledge the fact that interns are a very important part of their company and that they have been volunteering their time for the job. They shouldn’t be treated as free labour. Since they add value to their company, the employers should reciprocate by making sure they get ample opportunities to learn as well.

IS: Based on the applications that you receive, could you point out a few common mistakes the candidates make while applying? Any suggestions regarding them?

Anshul: While applying for internships, students should not be looking at it as a mere means of boosting their CVs. They should only apply for fields they are genuinely interested in and something that could add to their overall personality and, in general, life as well.

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.

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