BUILD CONNECTIONS, SOCIAL SKILLS
Mr Khandelwal added that amid tough market conditions, students with credible internships under their belt will also be able to differentiate themselves from other graduates – and even those with job experience.
He also said internships allow students to build social skills and connections, which could help them to secure future employment.
“(You will not) always end up getting a job in the same company that you had interned with,” he added.
“However, if you continue to create that network and relationship with those individuals that you worked with during internships, chances are, through that network, you might end up with a job in a similar area – whether in the same organisation for a period of time or a different organisation.”
That was the case for Mr Teo, who said he was able to connect with professionals and senior engineers across different departments.
“I think the open and collaborative environment in internships has also helped me learn more from my mentors,” he said.
Nevertheless, a career coach from SMU cautioned that beyond internship experiences, employers also look for well-rounded individuals in the hiring process.
Co-curricular and leadership activities help to build soft skills, which are what employers look out for, said Ms Corrine Ong, director of career and employability services at SMU’s Dato’ Kho Hui Meng Career Centre.
“It’s very important that the students actually look at a holistic development of themselves through all the student life activities, and not just go for internship and as well as grades,” she added.
“If they were to look at internships, then very importantly, (they have to) look at the quality of the internships – not just chasing the numbers game.”
