Internships; in essence, are a way to gain experience and knowledge by being present in, and observing a work environment. They benefit students the best because they provide a short-term commitment and help children gain valuable experience in terms of how to deal with real-world situations.
Problem-solving skills are essential in any work or study environment. With all the textbook knowledge imparted in schools and colleges, putting it into practice becomes a daunting task. One of the main characteristics of learning in a classroom is trying to solve an ideal problem. Also, the problem has many assumptions and almost always has a guarantee of a solution. But this approach works only under some conditions.
Internships help you learn concepts and understand how a solution is arrived at. It also requires a strong grasp of the fundamentals. In a real situation in life, it is rare to find an ideal problem. There will always be dynamic changes in the situations, and optimization of workflow, thus results become a priority. Transitioning from ideal problems to real-world problems is not easy but can be done by experience, first hand or second hand.
How to Apply for Internships?
Becoming an intern is fairly simple if the applicant is a student coming from a college or university, which has collaborations with companies offering such internships. There might be prerequisites, such as a certain minimum grade requirement or maybe a small entrance exam or interview. Companies or labs, which take interns might have a number internships available and may not take more than that many students. Many companies also scout for potential employees in the intern pool.
In other cases, one can approach the human resources department of the company directly. This method might work better if there is a recommendation letter or cover letter from the university or college head and/or from someone within the organization itself. Other companies advertise the availability of internships through their websites or other third party resources like Facebook, job-search websites, etc.
When is the Internship Season?
Most internships are designed around the vacation periods of students. Part-time internships also exist in which students might be required to work once or twice a week. All the above-described scenarios; however, are aimed at particularly students who are yet to graduate. That is not to say that internships exist only for students. There are companies, which offer such internship and training to all potential employees regardless of if they are active students. More often than not, only people who are looking to start a career with the particular company opt to intern there to get a foothold. For students, it is more of a stepping stone or a taste of the real world so they can hone their skills before graduation.
Crucial Things You Need to Know
Students need to be aware or informed about a few things before they apply for internships. The first and foremost task is to do a little homework about the companies and zero in on the ones that suit their future career interests. Next is to have a strong grasp of the fundamentals required for that particular job. Struggling to cope up initially is normal and is expected of the interns. Next is to be sure to read all the conditions of the internship and, if accepted, to abide by them. You need to know that, as interns, you will be exposed to tasks that require a higher level of responsibility and commitment.
To conclude, internships help students greatly and in some instances, they might even pay a decent stipend. But the most important aspect of internships is to teach students nuances and skills that cannot be learned in the classroom environment.
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