Internship & You

What is an internship? It is an intentional supervised learning related to one's field of study and career goals. Internships can be a very structured learning experience or they can be designed to meet the expectations of the student. Internships can be done locally. They can be part-time or full-time, paid or unpaid. Internships can be done during the academic year or during the summer break. The one thing all good internship opportunities have in common is they provide students with career-related work experience.

Why is Internship Important? Look at the appointment notices in the newspaper and asked potential employers what do they look out for in a potential employee? The answer would mostly likely be EXPERIENCE.

But how do you get a job without experience, and how do you get experience without a job? How should you get started? What are your career choices?

The first thing to do is to explore and experience a field where you think you want to begin through the SmartTeam Internship Programme.

You are encouraged to make full use of this opportunity to synthesize classroom theory, personal skill and genuine career-related work experience. Seek out "real world" assignments that extend your learning experience into areas that are not available in the classroom. Look for programmes that help you learn, help you integrate what you learn, focus on outcomes, results; and what you can achieve if you participate.

Goals of Internship Before you embark on your internship, it is helpful to ask yourself what you hope to gain out of that experience. Your goals could be

• To sharpen your skills
• To experience working in a real-world work environment

It is wise to utilise a variety of methods when seeking an internship and to pursue opportunities with persistence and confidence. The quality of your experience, the skills you develop, and your motivation and enthusiasm are ultimately the most important.

When should I do an Internship? Typically, the summer vacation of end April to mid August each year is when most students would serve their full-time internship attachments with organizations. Internships can be done at any point in a student's academic career, after completing 2 semesters of course work. While some internship opportunities are available only to senior-year students, this should not deter Freshman and Sophomores from seeking out these valuable experiential, education opportunities.

Who can I talk to? You can approach any of the career advisory staff for assistance. For specific questions regarding internships, make an appointment with your career counselor. There's a lot to gain, make full use of the programme!