Thesis on why students should go for internships

Students should go for internships, whether paid or unpaid, for many reasons. It is a great opportunity for the students to gain experience and to be given a sense of responsibility. It is also a good opportunity to visit other countries, get acquainted with new cultures, live their way of life, learn a new language and also a fantastic way to meet new people. The issue of payment should not come into the equation here since the experience gained by an intern is invaluable and serves to improve both life and work prospects.
The conception of internship is based on medieval times when an apprentice was given board and lodging in return for his work. College students and university students studying medicine, catering, engineering, teaching etc. benefit from these internships where they can shadow a professor or superior and see hands on what they are doing. This concept has developed considerably over the years and has migrated to other professions although some are more suited to internship than others.
Another drawback is that although the intern is shadowing or simulating a job, he is not really doing the job. He is pretending to do the job and hopefully preparing himself for the full responsibility when he starts to work. Simulating a job however is not the same as working in a real job. Also it is sometimes difficult to fit in and to find exactly what you are looking for. However, as this often happens in a real job, it could also be considered to be an advantage to have knowledge beforehand.
Yet another drawback is that interns are sometimes taken advantage of and asked to work long hours or asked to do menial tasks which nobody else wants to undertake. Being an intern usually means that you are unable to refuse what is being asked of you as otherwise, at the end of the internship, this will go down as a black mark against you.
“ So an internship doesn’t teach you everything you need to know about coping in today’s working world. What effect does it have on the economy as a whole?” Unfortunately, interns are compared to ‘ illegal immigrants who create an oversupply of people’ willing to work for a pittance (or in this case for no pay at all).
‘ In 1998, a survey in Columbia brought the following to light: “ Compared to unpaid internships, paid placements are strongest on all measure of internship quality. The quality measures are also higher for those firms who intend to hire their interns”. This shouldn’t be too surprising – getting hired and getting paid are what work in the real world is all about’. (Kamanetz/Take This Internship and Shove it pg. 583 para. 15)
Most students would agree that unpaid internships are worth taking up mainly for the experience and knowledge gained. ‘“ Unpaid internships are totally worth the hours you put in and the hard work,” says Hannah Ferdinand, a production assistant for the Dr. Oz Show who did five internships while in college. “ Employees of the workplace understand that you are working and learning for free”. It shows that you are serious about the career and are willing to put in the hard work needed for the reward of a potential job’. (Halperin/No Pay? Many Interns Say, “ No Problem” pg. 589 para. 8)
Giulia Casa who came to Malta on an internship to work at the Ministry of Culture is very happy with the arrangement. She is living with a Maltese family and her parents are paying for her board and lodging. She says: “ I am very happy here in Malta. I shall be sorry when my two months internship are over. Apart from meeting different people from different walks of life, I have learned a lot and not just for my job. I have learned more about a different country and different people. I have learned new cultures and a new and different way of life. I have even managed to pick up some Maltese words,” she grins.
When asked if she is happy at her place of work, Giulia replies. “ I am very happy but since we are interns, we are sometimes taken advantage of and given too much work to do. We are often asked to stay at work for long hours or to do menial tasks which no one else likes doing. Also, I do not like the location of the office as it is inside an old palace where it is dark and damp. Outside it is hot and sunny and we are inside in the dark. But this could happen also in the ‘ real’ world so I suppose it is acceptable. I have come to love this island and I shall definitely be returning in the near future. I am very grateful for this fantastic opportunity as it has broadened my views on people and life in general”.
When asked whether they would consider doing an internship again after having already done one and having in hand the knowledge of what sort of an experience it was, practically all past interns would jump at the chance to experience an internship once more. They say that the advantages and experiences definitely outnumber the disadvantages by far. Although we live in a world of finance and consumerism, there is sometimes an instance where money is of no consequence – and this is one of those instances. Internships are something we should nurture and encourage because it is a concept where money is of no importance and this is what makes it so unique. There is not much left for free in this world and internship is certainly an experience which should be treasured and nurtured.