Internships: Should We or Should We Not?

I have seen a doctor become a writer, a chemical engineer turn into a painter, and a chartered accountant become the owner of a candle-making company! A decade ago, if you asked a teenager what he wants to be when he grows up, he would straightaway look at his parents to answer the question instead, or he would repeat what his parents have always told him: doctor, or engineer.

Getting into the Science stream used to considered an achievement, and if a child does not do that, then he was assumed to be not intelligent. It was much later that the Commerce stream came into the limelight, when becoming chartered accountants and company secretaries started trending.  

In this trending world, the important interests of the child are lost. Art is now the new trend, and most parents are pushing their children toward drawing, craft, music, and what not. But, this, too, is a wrong way to see the world, as you are stressing out your child with education and extra activities, with less time for self-realisation.

Here comes the new trend, and I support it: internships. You will find a lot of internship ads on social media for almost all interests catering to you and your child.  

Nowadays, eight year old kids are learning coding. Internships are project-based work, where your child learns how to work, and they will be working with actual companies. It will help your child understand work in the real world. 

Why should you choose internships?

Your kid may be interested in some stream of his own interest, but the parent and even the kid as a teenager, may not be sure about whether to choose that stream or not. That’s where the internships play a huge role. After the internship, both you and your child will feel confident about what to do, and how to do it.

What do internships provide?

Internships are mostly online these days, and there is a lot to explore. But, there are many practical internships that are also available. There are lot of NGOs offering internships, and it’s a great way spend holidays for teenagers, and to explore career options. After doing internships, you might also get an idea of what colleges to choose, and according to the stream you choose, what the best place is to do your desired course. It will also give the teenager seriousness about the stream he chooses as a career, and the kid’s grades might improve with the level of interest created during the internship period.

How do you choose internships?

Internships are both paid and unpaid. You have a choice to make. They have certain specifications, but if the teenager is just starting high school, paid internships would be difficult to get. Most internships come with a Certificate of Experience, which looks great on a Curriculum Vitae (CV). Internships have a duration of 3 to 12 weeks, and once you have completed the required time, the certificate is provided.

What are the benefits of internships?

As mentioned, most internships provide a certificate at the end. This will add work experience to your CV. If you complete multiple internships by the time you finish your college and start searching for a real job, your CV would definitely look quite impressive. The most important benefit is that you will have a clear idea of which companies to apply to, and what kind of work to expect from the new place.

If you don’t know what your passion is, don’t waste your time and energy on work that doesn’t interest you. Instead, take a firm decision from the beginning for your career choices!