Internships are becoming more of a requirement rather than an added value in these competitive times.If we want to stand out and get an edge over our competitors, we should step on the first ladder to our career by exposing ourselves to one.

SNIGDHA BARAL

After completing their high school and undergraduate studies, young people sign up for this program that organizations offer as interns to enable them to gain experience and inculcate the necessary knowledge and skills to enter into particular career fields, expose them to something that they are passionate about, and also to make their resumes more attractive and convincing.

Shashwat Rijal, 18, who recently graduated from Rato Bangla School, explains, “I aspire to become a banker in the future. So I enrolled myself in the internship program that Standard Chartered Bank offers. It’s been a remarkable experience for me as I’m practically doing what my teachers had been lecturing me all those years. Apart from the banking functions, I’ve also learnt about the ethics and culture of the organization, about interpersonal skills, and more importantly, developed the feeling of responsibility in my work.”

Another graduate from Xavier’s International College, Anura Shrestha, said, “I’ve always loved creative writing and making people read it. Thus, I took an internship at Navyaata, the lifestyle magazine, to get a platform for fulfilling my passion. I’ve become smarter, my level of confidence has soared up, and of course, my CV has also become more attractive.”

Moreover, almost all undergraduate schools in the Kathmandu Valley have introduced internships as part of their curriculum so that their students can put their theoretical insights into practice.

LP Bhanu Sharma, the Principal of Apex College, shared, “We’ve endorsed internships and made it mandatory for all the courses that the college offers, allocating three credits for Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Banking and Insurance (BBA-BI) and Bachelor’s in Business and Information System (BBIS) and six credits for Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Travel and Tourism (BBA-TT).

I believe internships are a must after undergoing theoretical classes to apply what’s learnt in the classroom to the real world.” He added, “Internships can be life-changing opportunities if the students take it seriously.”

Similarly, Principal of St Xavier’s College, Father Antony Samy, opined, “We’ve included internship as part of our curriculum.I feel that it’s indispensable for education as it gives hands-on experience to students. Further, there are so many practical approaches that we need to know in order to excel in a specific subject which we can’t teach in the classroom. In such cases, internship fills the void.”

St Xavier’s College currently offers several programs, ranging from Physics to Microbiology to Business Studies to Journalism, Arts and Social Works.Science and Management students are required to undergo their internship in the final semester; whereas Humanities students should take it consecutively after their classes get over each day.

In addition to these disciplines, another reason for the increasing trends of internship is to get job placements.It is an excellent way to begin building all the important connections that are imperative in developing and maintaining strong professional networks for one’s future.

Therefore, students undertake months of internship to acquaint themselves with the works, eventually to apply for a professional position in the job market.

“After finishing my Bachelor’s, I worked as an intern at Citizen’s International Bank to familiarize myself with the works. Because of the strong network that I had built while working, there were many banks willing to offer me a job. But I ended up working for Citizen’s itself as I was already accustomed to its system” shares Sadiksha
Gyawali.

In conclusion, internships are becoming more of a requirement rather than an added value in these competitive times.If we want to stand out and get an edge over our competitors, we should step on the first ladder to our career by exposing ourselves to one.

As a wise saying has it, “Getting your foot on the door is one of the keys to getting ahead in the game of life.”

source: Baral, Snigdha(2011),"Internship to put one ahead of the pack ", republica, 13 Dec 2011