#internationalinternshipprogramindia

So you think because you are graduating from a top private university you will get a job without a problem, right? Think again. With this economy, some top graduates of Harvard can't even get a job. Ok ok, maybe they will. But what about us? The people who did not have the opportunity to go to Harvard can get great jobs, too. But how do we get jobs after graduating? More and more employers say real world experience is the key to getting a job. So how do you get real world experience? I have one word for ya: Internship.

Internships are one of the best ways for college students to get that experience. So I know what you’re thinking, Oh, I get an internship and I run errands for people all day and get them coffee, nothing but grunt work, right? Not entirely. Think of it this way. You might get to assist an ad agency with a commercial, or write for a web site or a broadcasting station or even learn behind the scenes activities of running a corporation. Whatever you do, no matter how small, you will get an inside look at a real life job, giving you an edge during job hunting. The idea of an internship is looking better isn't it? And in the words of George Bush or Porky Pig, that's not all, folks. Here are some other reasons to get an internship.

Not only do you get hands on experience in an office setting and become part of a team, but you will also gain a valuable knowledge in your field of study. For example, I bet Sean P Diddy Combs internship for the New York-based Uptown Records gave him an opportunity to sharpen his quality of work and enhance some of his habits, right? By working in an office setting you can put to work all the knowledge you learned in a classroom and improve on your oral and written communication and leadership skills.

Internships also give you the opportunity to gain some self-confidence. Figure out what your strengths are and really shine. It is also a good time to identify your weaknesses so they too can become stronger. In fact, in the GrooveJob.com interview section there is a list of possible questions asked by the interviewer. Question number three asks, what’s your greatest strength? The advice on how to answer that is easy, the idea is not to just talk about your strengths--relate it to the position. There is a bunch of great advice on the GrooveJob.com website, fish around and take notes that are what I did when I applied for this internship.

College is an amazing place to learn self-reliance and independence. An internship is a great place to use those qualities. At the same time, college is a great place for procrastination. Let’s not deny it, most of my friends cannot get a paper done unless they start the day before it is due (not a good habit to get into- but it works). An internship will help you get back that motivation that you might have thrown out the third-story dorm window you live in.

Earlier I said an internship is a great opportunity to improve oral and written communication skills. This is important because most of us are not used to interacting with a diverse population. You might meet lawyers, police officers, politicians, extremely rich people, not so rich people, hippies, rock stars, circus folk, teachers, and even other interns. Each person might be different in their language, their personality, and their profession. Interacting with people will teach you more about real world experiences faster than anything.

The last thing I would like to talk about is your ability to really let your career begin at this point. Just think, no more classes, no more papers to write, no more tests to study for. This is it, how exciting! Look at this as an opportunity to work with the company full-time after the completion of the internship. Even if you do not work with that particular company, think of all the networking you can accomplish and all of the contacts you will meet. Focus on gaining an edge and keeping yourself in the job market. Keep in mind of how this is a chance to build your resume. Think of how this is, more than anything, an experience or just one milestone in your life. In an e-mail from Dr. Randall Hansen, he said to me, "an internship... it is often a great experience, it helps you decide your major/career path, and employers love to see a resume with internships on it."

So look out your window and locate that motivation that you threw out so long ago. It might be on a cloud or the rooftop of another house or it might even have landed on your window sill. Once you found it, hold on to it really tight and start your search for the perfect internship for you

And do not worry; I am not leaving you hangin. You are probably wondering how to take the first step. Well, ever heard of GrooveJob.com? It's obviously the best web site out there! But check out Pursueasia.com. At this site you will find information that's just right for you.

You can also visit:

CVTips.com     - They have lots of articles on internships and career guidance

There are some other places, as well. Check out the Career Center at your school or even in individual departments. Ask around. There are also Job Fairs that introduce you to a number of companies. Just as you are looking for them, they are looking for you. So why are you still reading? Go get yourself some coffee, because it might be the last time you get it for yourself and begin your search.

Source- groovejob.com

Several weeks ago, I wrote about what to do if you hate your internship. As summer winds down and students roll off internships and head back to school, I thought it appropriate to offer some advice for those who are having a good internship experience. Why is that needed? Because it's just as important to zero in on what you like about your internship -- and what that might mean for the future -- as it is to determine what you dislike.

I encourage interns to think analytically about their internship experience because this helps them articulate to future employers what they did and learned during the internship. If all you can do is say you had an "amazing" internship last summer, without providing any specifics about what was so amazing and why, it does little besides indicate an uninformed passion.

A former student of mine once gushed about his cool summer internship at an event promotion company, while being surprisingly light on the details of what he did. It was abundantly clear that he enjoyed his time there, but I pushed him to think harder about the experience. "Free concert tickets," is a nice benefit of working in music promotion, not a reason for someone to hire you in the first place. I urged him to tell future employers about what he specifically learned about event promotion and management, including any special projects (developing relationships with local businesses to promote music events), and particular leadership responsibilities he demonstrated (coordinating a team of interns to do street publicity). In this way, he was able to showcase his accomplishments and interest much more impressively.

So, how do you think critically about your experience? Asking yourself the following three questions about why you liked it can be a good start.

Was it the culture?

Perhaps it was a fast-paced, dynamic environment or everything was new and exciting. Did you genuinely enjoy the internship, or were you mainly pleased to have a break from classes? Was it hands-on or theoretical work? Did they have a training program? After asking yourself those questions, conduct research to determine if those things are endemic to the industry.

One way to gain some perspective is to consider whether you enjoyed that 10-week experience enough to seek out additional opportunities. In my work with students, many times the answer is yes, but occasionally former interns are prompted to realize that they are enamored by the novelty of the experience, rather than interested in pursuing it further.

Was it the people?

Consider those you worked with during your internship and the impact they had on your experience. Perhaps you were paired with a mentor who was knowledgeable and helped guide your work. Maybe there was an intern "culture," and you were around other people your own age. It could be that you liked the internship in part because you enjoy supporting a specific product or promoting a particular cause in a team environment. Think about other people at the organization besides your fellow interns. How did they seem to you? Did they appear to enjoy their work or the field in general?

While it's generally a good thing to like the people you work with, it's important to consider the broader set of colleagues you're likely to have. Again, do some networking with people in the organization to determine if the attitudes and behaviors you experienced are present in the rest of the organization or elsewhere in the field. While not everyone you encounter is going to be a clone of your 20-year-old self, you should look at the professional behavior of people who have been in the field for some time to see if that might be a fit for you going forward.

Was it the work?

Perhaps you discovered an interest in working with a particular population such as at-risk youth, ESL learners, or geriatrics. Or, you developed an ability to write for a particular audience, e.g. sports fans, political junkies, and pop culture mavens. Maybe you gained a great deal of practical knowledge or experience in your academic field or area of interest by disseminating research information through social media, determining pricing and marketing techniques for organic produce, or documenting the maintenance protocols for alternative energy equipment use by a brewery. Whatever the case, it's important to identify the specific tasks (data collection, research, and writing, helping others, communication with internal or external clients) that you did (and what percentage of the work they entailed). This will help you identify better prospects for your interests and skills in the next internship or job you pursue.

Next Steps

After your internship, stay in touch with people from your workplace. So many students fail to take their supervisors up on offers of recommendations, contacts or advice after they finish their internship. These same students become increasingly reluctant to reach out the closer graduation looms. It doesn't take much to develop a LinkedIn profile to stay connected with colleagues -- and that's how you should think of them -- at a previous internship.

And, if your former colleagues are not on LinkedIn, it's still possible to send an email once a semester mentioning what you're studying currently and asking to touch base about future opportunities in the industry as you approach the end of your college career. Both of these actions help you grow your network, indicate your communication skills and demonstrate your ongoing interest in the profession. Don't let a great internship be an isolated experience -- use it as a springboard to building your career.

Source- huffingtonpost.com

Many undergraduates, who are doing their internship today, take their job training too lightly. Based on my observations, a majority of today’s interns do not understand the importance of job training and how it helps to shape their future in the working world.

Based on my experience, many interns have a hard time digesting that their internship period is not a time-off from books and assignment. Internship is also about the perception that they build among professionals towards the institution they represent.

I remember my internship with one of our local terrestrial television stations. I remember that I worked an average of 10 hours a day, did graveyard shifts, paid peanuts (or almost free) to learn and grasp the experience that the station offered. From photocopying hundreds and hundreds of pages of all sorts of forms, becoming tea lady to producing my very own promo and putting it up on air within that three months of internship period was such a fulfilling and eye-opening experience for me. I can say that my internship had better prepared me to face the real world of TV broadcasting.

Now that I am in the position of consistently on the lookout for those trainees myself, I would say in the last 15 years, getting good interns is almost like looking for a needle in a haystack.

I am not trying to be self-righteous here by writing this article, but I am merely sharing some tips on what interns can do to make the most out of their internship and at the same time build their confidence in the real world of working.

Take the job seriously

Interns need to remember that the world does not revolve around them (no matter how much they believe so) and that the work and contribution they give will have an impact on the organization. So in order for the employer to take them seriously, the interns must take the job seriously, even if it is about buying that masala tea with less sugar for their respective manager.

Be matured, punctual and don’t skive

Tardiness and truancy is a major turn-off for most organizations. So, when the company wants you to work 10 hours a day, you work 10 hours a day. Or more. And if you have to go off for emergency or family holidays, be professional about it and send a formal application. Don’t go around telling your manager to call your dad or mom for further explanation. Remember: It is work and not high school.

Good time management equals to good interns

Interns have quite a list of things on their plate. So, manage your time properly. It is important to be organized and meet deadlines. If you feel like you have nothing much to do, always ask around for things that you can do - no one likes a person who sits around and does nothing.

Communicate and socialize

Soft skills are important to score that internship. When you are almost at the end of your internship and you hardly know anybody in the office, like the woman who sits across to you at the same cubicle, then you should reflect your purpose of being.

There are no silly questions; just silly answers

ask away if you have the slightest concern or queries about the job. An intern must always be willing to step out of comfort zone and have genuine interest about the job. And be prepared when you are asked about the job. Do not give away silly answers.

All of the above are written based on my personal experience working with numerous interns. To me, the most important thing about completing your internship with flying colors is to have the right and positive attitude.

Once you have proven that you are able to project professionalism with humility, hard work and respect towards one and all, who knows, your internship might just land you the right job that you have always dream of.