If you want work experience, nothing beats an internship. The struggle is finding a good one…
By Craig Falck for Africa Report
Photograph: © Angina | Dreamstime.com
If you’re a student and you’re looking to get a foot in the door, an internship is the best idea you’ve had since deciding to study. Basically, an internship is when a company takes a student or prospective employee on and brings them into the workplace to learn more about the business, what goes on and how the industry actually works. There’s a big difference between what is taught and what really happens, so first-hand experience is a major plus. The problem with this, though, is that you won’t be the only person with this idea in mind.
Depending on the degree or qualification that you’re studying, you might be lucky and find that the bigger businesses in the industry have “talent search” days at universities around the country, where they invite students to speak to past interns who are now working at the enterprise, important people from the businesses such as CEOs and other upper management, and other people from the enterprise who will be able to answer any questions that you may have. At the same time, they will be encouraging students to apply for internships – they will take each and every application into consideration and should you meet their criteria (which often means you need to be achieving excellent academic results or maintaining a certain result) you could find yourself being invited to be an intern. Luckily, this sort of internship is guaranteed to be with a reputable company as universities are very particular and strict about who they allow onto campus to speak to their students.
Another way of finding good internships is to do research. You go online, visit the actual companies, speak to people in the industry and find out which companies are reputable and which ones aren’t. Once you’ve sorted this out, inquire at your chosen one if they have an internship programme that you could enter or how you’d go about getting an internship through an outside source. Many companies prefer to outsource this function and employ specialised internship companies who source candidates that meet the enterprises’ requirements and philosophies. You never know, by using an agency you might find the internship of your dreams.
Being an intern is hard work. Sometimes you’ll find a paid internship, other times you’ll be working for free. The thing is, being an intern is all about putting in the hard work, learning the ropes and paying your dues. So when you’re looking for a business to intern at, don’t jump at the first offer that comes along. Do your research and have the knowledge and information to choose the best one for you.
