Let me re-phrase the title, this article is about the quest to find “good” internships. Well, cause with online college and the entrapment of social media, anyone can find an unpaid god-awful internship with a six-month duration and the incentive of one lousy LOR. And let me tell you – I speak from experience. Here are my findings on the subject:
Join the Placement Cell
Now, joining your college placement cell might not necessarily find you a good internship but it does give you practice in making conversations with HR managers and also it keeps you up to date on what opportunities there are out there. Placements cells are a demanding society work-wise so join at your convenience.
Also, the opportunities that are floated by Placement Cell are vetted, so it is less likely that you get scammed. I, myself, found a wonderful internship with the HT Media group from my college cell. Another thing is that most college placement cells offer only paid opportunities which are great since you deserve to be paid for your work. So, make sure to follow your college’s social media and keep a check on the internships available.
Finding Internships on LinkedIn
If I am being comely honest, most internships on LinkedIn lead nowhere. It is usually a tactic to make you give your email address which is later sold for subscriptions. But, if used correctly LinkedIn can be a great tool to look for paid opportunities. And you can always reach out to connections who are your age and ask for advice. My suggestion is to follow pages which you’d like to work at and wait for them to offer internships.
Cut the Middleman
So, what if you’d like to work for a company that is not connected with your college placement cell and doesn’t put on ‘To Hire’ posters on LinkedIn? Check out their websites. Most places will have a “Work for Us” section, register yourself there. While it might be unfruitful at first if you do it enough companies you might just get lucky and get a response. This tactic especially works with UN-related organizations and Government ministries that look for interns.
Finally, do what makes you Happy
I can’t stress this enough, don’t get an HR internship if you don’t like the field. And don’t commit to being a graphic intern if you can’t make a design to save your life. We all have strengths and things that we are good at, so aim to work at things that will help the trajectory of your career and not just because you liked the company or the pay.
And that’s all the wisdom I have to share on the matter. Read more DU related news here.
