With growing number of organisations and start-ups hiring interns, students now have a multitude of options to choose from and make the right career choice. Internships give students a wholesome experience — a combination of practical training, updating their knowledge on tools and technology and developing their practical skills.
Traditionally, internships have been a western concept, but over the years they have become an integral part of a student’s life in India too. At Internshala, from 1,700 internship positions in 2011, the number has risen to 2.65 lakh in 2016 — a growth of 1,500%.
Key sectors
Management, with its diverse fields of marketing and sales, operations, human resources and finance, is the hottest sector providing internships. Forty eight per cent of internships which are posted belong to the management sector. These are open to students from non-MBA backgrounds as well. If you are a student looking to make a career in management, then it’s better to do an internship first before taking up a course — it would give you a real-life experience.
Engineering, at 21%, has the second highest number of internships for students. Organisations are looking for interns with passion to work in mobile application and web development, game development, electronics and mechanical profiles.
Another emerging field which has the third highest number of internship opportunities for students is media. Companies are looking to hire interns for content writing, video making and editing, journalism and public relations.
Design is another major sector; it has opportunities for students in graphic design, UI/UX, animations and fashion designing. The other major sectors where students can find internship opportunities are data science, law, humanities and science.
While applying for internships, 86% of students are looking to work with organisations where they get to do real and meaningful work. Millennials are not waiting for opportunities to knock on their doors and are open to stepping out of their comfort zone and taking risks. They are more interested in working in different verticals, shouldering responsibilities and handling projects even before graduating.
The next thing in students’ minds while applying for an internship is mentorship, closely followed by the work culture of the organisation. Working under a mentor who can help them wade through the corporate waters and whose experience students can learn from, excites the students. Work culture defines an organisation and interns happen to learn (and grow) when they are given creative freedom and an environment to experiment.
Contrary to the popular belief, the stipend is relatively less important for students than the above factors. Given that the primary purpose of an internship is to learn, this makes sense. The average stipend offered for an internship is ₹7,500 per month for in-office internships and ₹3,500 per month for work from home internships.
Where are the internships?
With 33% of total internships, the national capital is a hotbed of internships. Leading brands, startups, parliamentarians and industry experts hire interns here. Mumbai and Bangalore take the next two spots. Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata are among the other major internship hubs.
This summer, before heading out for an internship — hone your skills, brush up on your knowledge of new technologies, research your options and explore. After all, just one internship experience could be the launchpad for your career.
The author is founder and CEO of Internshala.
