5 Reasons you should intern as a student
After finishing my second year of University I took the opportunity to work for Infosys in Bangalore, India for 10 weeks. Infosys is a multinational corporation who are a global leader in technology services & consulting. What I can only describe as an experience of a lifetime which I feel every student should try avail to at some point.
1. Experience
My first and probably most obvious reason is the experience you can gain from working with other peers who have had years of experience in the field. As well as this learning off other interns about different cultures is an eye opening experience. It really allowed me to gain a better perspective of the world. I worked in the emerging technologies unit making use of deep learning techniques and algorithms to create a product which will be used for security purposes for detection of fraudulent entry of unknown entities in to office buildings. This was a great opportunity to work on a project in such an exciting area like Machine Learning.
2. Travel
Secondly travel was probably one of the best experiences of my whole internship. Getting to travel to a different parts of India on the weekend with a bunch of other interns was amazing. Over the course of my 10 weeks I got to travel to Kollam, Waynad, Mysore, Goa, Mumbai, Aggra, Jaipur and Delhi. Experiencing a culture that was so different to what I was used was really interesting to see how others live. Travelling is great for boosting your communication skills, enhances your tolerance for uncertainty and allows you to get uncomfortable with a situation you are not used. After time you slowly adjust to the culture until you feel you are a part of it. I can’t recommend it enough.
3. Networking
My third reason to complete an internship as a student is the amount of networking opportunities you receive. This is essential as a student who is looking to gain entry in to industry. Having key contacts who can help you out when it comes to recruitment is so important. I think my LinkedIn profile gained about 100 connections over the space of 10 weeks. Infosys provided ample amount of opportunities to meet with lots of their current employees. Events like hackathons, meet the leader talks, weekly meet ups and working with peers on a day to day basis. This allowed to get great advice as well as build up a network of useful connections
4. Strengthen your CV
My fourth reason another obvious one. Strengthening your CV/resume can give you a real competitive advantage in an area where everyone is going for the same jobs. The ability to stand out and say you have spent time from your summer to work globally shows dedication, initiative and flexibility. Employers will be impressed that you can work internationally in an ever growing global economy. It also shows your adaptability to be able to work with different cultures and environments.
5. Future Employment
Finally and for some more importantly completing an internship allows you to get a better chance of employment from that company. Certainly for me the company asked the interns to forward their CV’s for full-time employment opportunities. There were also interviews to find out more about full time employment. For me it wasn’t something I was looking at too much as I am at early stage in university. However it is something I will consider when I am looking for undergraduate job opportunities.
To finish off I would recommend any student who is looking for something to do with themselves next summer. I would really encourage looking at a summer internship whether it be locally or globally. It can really help develop you as a person and give you the experience of a lifetime. I also made a YouTube video of my experience which you can check out here:
After finishing my second year of University I took the opportunity to work for Infosys in Bangalore, India for 10 weeks. Infosys is a multinational corporation who are a global leader in technology services & consulting. What I can only describe as an experience of a lifetime which I feel every student should try avail to at some point.
1. Experience
My first and probably most obvious reason is the experience you can gain from working with other peers who have had years of experience in the field. As well as this learning off other interns about different cultures is an eye opening experience. It really allowed me to gain a better perspective of the world. I worked in the emerging technologies unit making use of deep learning techniques and algorithms to create a product which will be used for security purposes for detection of fraudulent entry of unknown entities in to office buildings. This was a great opportunity to work on a project in such an exciting area like Machine Learning.
2. Travel
Secondly travel was probably one of the best experiences of my whole internship. Getting to travel to a different parts of India on the weekend with a bunch of other interns was amazing. Over the course of my 10 weeks I got to travel to Kollam, Waynad, Mysore, Goa, Mumbai, Aggra, Jaipur and Delhi. Experiencing a culture that was so different to what I was used was really interesting to see how others live. Travelling is great for boosting your communication skills, enhances your tolerance for uncertainty and allows you to get uncomfortable with a situation you are not used. After time you slowly adjust to the culture until you feel you are a part of it. I can’t recommend it enough.
3. Networking
My third reason to complete an internship as a student is the amount of networking opportunities you receive. This is essential as a student who is looking to gain entry in to industry. Having key contacts who can help you out when it comes to recruitment is so important. I think my LinkedIn profile gained about 100 connections over the space of 10 weeks. Infosys provided ample amount of opportunities to meet with lots of their current employees. Events like hackathons, meet the leader talks, weekly meet ups and working with peers on a day to day basis. This allowed to get great advice as well as build up a network of useful connections
4. Strengthen your CV
My fourth reason another obvious one. Strengthening your CV/resume can give you a real competitive advantage in an area where everyone is going for the same jobs. The ability to stand out and say you have spent time from your summer to work globally shows dedication, initiative and flexibility. Employers will be impressed that you can work internationally in an ever growing global economy. It also shows your adaptability to be able to work with different cultures and environments.
5. Future Employment
Finally and for some more importantly completing an internship allows you to get a better chance of employment from that company. Certainly for me the company asked the interns to forward their CV’s for full-time employment opportunities. There were also interviews to find out more about full time employment. For me it wasn’t something I was looking at too much as I am at early stage in university. However it is something I will consider when I am looking for undergraduate job opportunities.
To finish off I would recommend any student who is looking for something to do with themselves next summer. I would really encourage looking at a summer internship whether it be locally or globally. It can really help develop you as a person and give you the experience of a lifetime. I also made a YouTube video of my experience which you can check out here:
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