The value of a good internship

Internships and job shadowing are becoming an increasingly popular way for people to gain experience in a highly competitive job market.

Internships and job shadowing are a proven way to gain relevant knowledge, skills, and experience while establishing important connections in the field. Internships are also a way to get your feet wet and find out if a specific field is something you could see yourself doing as a full-time job. Internships may be completed during the holiday or on a full-time basis.

Ideally, internships should be done during holiday or when students have few or no classes to attend.

“Work shadowing is an opportunity for a student to walk next to someone as a ‘shadow’ to observe that person’s specific job or career. Work shadowing is limited to observation; no practical experience is obtained. It is the perfect opportunity to observe the world of work; the ‘real world’ outside of the ‘protected” school environment’”, said Thirza Damons, the guidance counsellor of St Paul’s College in Windhoek.

“Its is very important to know what you are getting yourself into when it comes to internships and job shadowing because a lot of times interns join companies eagerly but later, because of lack of monitory value they just lose interest. Sometimes companies just have a bad setup that they do not recognise the value of interns in terms of the time and effort they put in to get to work,” she said.

Three reasons not to do an internship

• Internships either pay very little or nothing at all. If you absolutely have to earn money, you may decide against doing one.

• Internships sometimes involve performing menial tasks. You will be asked to do filling or make coffee.

• Do not do an internship if it leaves you with too little time to study.

Be the best intern in the history of interns

Always be on time. It shows that you respect yourself and the institution.

Be open to learn anything, even outside the scope of your work. You never know what lies in your future.

Don’t refuse a reasonable instruction. Don’t say ‘no, it’s not in my job description’. As an intern you are supposed to learn everything and anything.

Be friendly and respectful. You may study towards a fancy degree, which the people already working might not have but if you are respectful and open to learn from them they will respect you too.

Dress modestly and practically. In fact, ask what the dress code of the institution is before you start. If you have to walk (or run) a lot, high heels might be impractical.

Ask questions! Remember, you are there to learn. It’s better to ask how things are done before you start working on it.

Make notes. You will be bombarded with information. You will not remember everything.

Some interns get paid for the work they do, however some do not get paid. Unpaid internships may be easier to get but may also pose problems if making money is necessary.

How to evaluate an internship setting

Read the internship description: While many internships exist to nurture budding professionals, there are others which serve only to provide the employer with cheap (or free) labour. Make sure you are going to get what you need out of an internship.

Research the company: Learn as much about the company as possible. This will not only help you decide whether a setting is a good one, but it will also make you a more knowledgeable interviewee.

Talk to former interns: You will want to hear about the experiences of those who went before you. Talk to students who have interned at the company which you are interested in so that you have first hand experience about company culture.

Five reasons to do an internship

With more and more people doing internships, employers are coming to expect to see them listed on the resumes of potential employees.

An internship is a great way to get an inside glimpse of a company, an industry, and a particular occupation. It can help you discover if the career you are considering is right (or wrong) for you.

It’s a great way of gaining practical experience in the field in which you want to work in.

It’s a way for you to see what challenge areas you have and what to do to gain the necessary knowledge and experience.

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