Internship experience plays a vital role for every student to implement their

theoretical knowledge and get a practical knowledge from any organization. As one of the parts

of requirement need to completing my master of commerce (M.Com) degree must undergo

summer internship in between second and third semester.

This summer training aims to enlighten and enable students about management

concepts and principles taught in the class. Besides, it also provides the students the much

needed exposure to back up their education.

An internship is a job training for white collar and professional careers. It is an

official program offered by an employer to potential employees. Interns work either part

time or full time at a company for a certain period of time. Internships are most popular with

college or university students, high school students, or post-graduate adults who work in an

organization and have a goal to gain practical work or research related experience.

The modern concept of internships essentially springs from the medieval

apprenticeship, in which skilled labourers (often craftsmen) would teach a young person their

trade and, in exchange, that person would agree to work for the teacher for a certain length of

time.

Internships for professional careers are similar in some ways but not as rigorous

as apprenticeships for professions, trade and vocational jobs, but the lack of standardisation

and oversight leaves the term open to broad interpretation. These positions may be paid or

unpaid and are usually temporary.

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 Generally, an internship consists of an exchange of services for experience between

the student and an organization. Students can also use an internship to determine if they have

an interest in a particular career, to create a network of contacts, to acquire a recommendation

letter to add to their curriculum vitae, or to gain collage credit.

Some interns find permanent, paid employment with the organizations for which they

worked upon completion of the internship. This can be a significant benefit to the employer as

experienced interns often need little or no training when they begin regular employment.

It also helps an employer in gauging a student's aptitude, since grade inflation has

undermined the reliability of academic grades. Unlike a trainee program, employment at the

completion of an internship is not guaranteed.

Internships exist in a wide variety of industries and settings. The two primary types

of internships that exist are

Work Experience:

Most often this is in the second or third year of the collage period. The placement

can be from one months to one full year. During this period, the student is expected to use

the things they have learned in collage and put them into practice. This way the student gains

work experience in their field of study. The gained experience will be helpful to finish the

final year of study.

Research Or Dissertation:

This is mostly done by students who are in their final year. With this kind of

internship a student does research for a particular company. The company can have

something that they feel they need to improve, or the student can choose a topic within the

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company themselves. The results of the research study will be put in a report and often will

have to be presented.

Apart from this an internship can be classified on the basis of payment and time. It

can be either paid, unpaid, or partially paid (in the form of a stipend) Or it can be either part

time or full time internship program.

Paid internships are common in the professional fields including Medicine,

Architecture, Science, Engineering, Law, Business, Technology and Advertising.

Unpaid internship Non-profit charities and think tanks often have unpaid, volunteer

positions.

Stipends are typically a fixed amount of money that is paid out on a regular basis.

Usually, interns that are paid through stipends are paid on a monthly basis.

Another type of internship growing in popularity is the virtual internship, in which

the intern works remotely, and is not physically present at the job location. It provides the

capacity to gain job experience without the conventional requirement of being physically

present in an office. The internship is conducted via virtual means, such as phone, email,

and web communication. Virtual interns generally have the opportunity to work at their own

pace.

Expand philosophy and knowledge in the field.

Gain a greater understanding of the duties and responsibilities of the job.

Identify personal strengths and weaknesses.

Understand and adhere to professional standards in the field.

Relate to, interact with, and learn from current professionals in the field.

Put theory into practice.

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 Broaden your knowledge and education by continuing to learn.

Develop the initiative and motivation to be a self-starter and work independently.

Keep current in the field, update knowledge as standards are revised.

Develop a portfolio that supports accomplishments in the field along with a list of

references.

Assess and evaluate self, facilities and program.

Hands-on experience to include: personal training, interpersonal skills, group exercise,

presentations, organising of special events, budgeting, marketing, liability and risk

management, paperwork, time and stress management, equipment ordering,

maintenance, cleaning and repair, etc.

Mentoring from the internship supervisor and department head.

Opportunities to network in the field, attend conferences and workshops, and are

affiliated with national organizations.

Professional communication including meetings, memos, client interaction, input of

ideas, and confidentiality.

Use of basic skills that include use of a computer (and software), reading, writing, math,

phones, research, etc.

Evaluate the results of work appraisals that will improve the working level of the

participants in an internship program.

Develop a general knowledge and understanding of organization, including duties and

responsibilities of clerical staff.

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 Develop a general knowledge and understanding of the management associated with an

intercollegiate department.

An internship is an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience in an industry of

your interest.

It provides the intern with the chance to learn the complete mechanics of a particular

field, and ascertain whether or not this industry is of interest to them.

An internship bridges the gap between school or university and the professional world.

Oftentimes students fail to realize the realities of the working world, and an internship

is a fantastic opportunity to learn about its complexities from office politics to coping

with the long hours and difficult bosses.

Undertaking an internship is an experience that could influence the individuals

eventual career decisions significantly. This will help them to ascertain whether this

industry is suited to their interests and qualifications, or if they feel uneasy about

embarking on a career within this field.

Above all, it is an excellent opportunity to gain a thorough understanding of a particular

industry.

This experience will also enhance the interns self-confidence and inspire them to

become successful, particularly if they are set up with a motivating and encouraging

mentor who is able to teach them all about the industry.

It is also an excellent opportunity to obtain professional references before embarking

on their career. This means that upon completion of their education, they will not be

restricted to resorting solely to educational references.

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 An internship also gives a valuable addition to any CV. This will increase a candidates

market value and assist them in better marketing themselves when seeking

employment.

Once the internship has reached completion, the individual will also have access to

important connections within their selected industry, meaning that the internship was

also a great networking tool.

Fundamentally, they will emerge from the experience a more learned person who has

gained valuable skills and understanding. Ultimately, the intern could be offered

employment by the company they have interned for.

Some internships are detrimental to the individuals progression in the working world.

Many interns are taken advantage of and made to do pointless tasks that will not give

them any additional knowledge or understanding about the industry or a certain

position.

Often, interns flit from one department to another and are regarded as an assistant

rather than an apprentice, meaning that they learn basic, menial tasks that are of limited

value.

Although it is fundamental that interns are given tasks that give them a realistic insight

into how the industry functions, it is also crucial that they learn how a particular

department and business operates.

It is also important to be careful who they intern for. Some companies take advantage

of interns and make then do the most menial, tedious tasks that will barely enhance their

skills.

Most internships arent that glamorous and it is extremely difficult to be offered an

internship opportunity for a highly regarded company. In addition, internships can

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 become extremely expensive to maintain, particularly if there is no funding available

and they are maintained for a prolonged period of time.

Many interns come out from the experience feeling frustrated and as though they

havent gained any valuable skills. They get trapped in one department and their

exposure to the company overall is limited.

it is important to acknowledge that whilst the individual is carrying out the internship,

they are missing out on opportunities to place a foot on the career ladder.

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