The pandemic led to the “work from home” and “learn from home”
transitions. While remote learning quickly became the new normal, what was to
be done about internships — a critical milestone for students and a litmus test
for experience and employability? In order to ensure that students were able to
garner some understanding of what work experience meant, institutions began to
embrace remote internships. Though this has its limitations, it offers benefits
such as flexible working hours and minimal expenses. And, while everything
cannot be recreated virtually, real-time work experience is indeed possible to
achieve online.
With remote internships currently being the only viable option for
students, choosing the right one is crucial. So, what should one look for?
Here’s a handy five-step list.
1. Ask yourself: what am I looking for?
Don’t choose an internship only because it is mandated. The primary
objective is to acquire real-world experience in a domain of your interest.
Therefore, be clear about your areas of interest and strengths, and the skills
you want to develop. Once you identify these, search for relevant
opportunities. Be open to options outside your comfort zone, but don’t apply to
every open position. Seek guidance and advice from trusted people.
2. Do your homework
Search for companies that are the best in your domain of interest and
that you would want to work for. Understand the roles they offer and the skill
sets they look for. Search using terms such as “remote”, “virtual” or “online”.
Don’t restrict yourself to local or national companies; apply to international
ones too. Check out various platforms, websites, and apps.
3. Brand yourself
In today’s online world, building a digital brand for yourself is
critical to stand out. Your digital personal brand includes the Google search
results for your name and all your social media accounts, in addition to your
CV. So, curate your social media thoughtfully to reflect a blend of your
personal and professional personalities. Engage actively in discussion forums
and try blogging platforms to give more visibility to your thoughts and ideas.
Request recommendations from former teachers or professors. More importantly,
when you are active on social media, you are more likely to come across
opportunities that you wouldn’t have found with a one-hit search on Google.
4. Network like there’s no tomorrow
Social media is now an accepted platform to network, and offers a pool
of employment opportunities. The trick is to network beyond your immediate
circle of family and friends. Reach out to connections from school or college
and seek advice, introductions, and recommendations. Your faculty may have
industry connections, colleagues with intern needs, or alumni connections with
projects on hand.
5. Check the (work) culture
Interning with a big company and a start-up have their pros and cons. To
intern at a start-up is considered as one of the best learning experiences that
a student can get. While big company names are a nice addition to your resume,
working in start-ups allows you to shoulder larger responsibilities,
multi-task, and dabble in multitude of tasks. If possible, try interning at
both. This will allow you to compare the experiences and understand where you
will fit better.
The writer is co-founder of Learning Matters and a
psychologist.
Source: The Hindu, 17/04/21
