5 questions to think about during & after summer internship

It’s the season of summer internships at most business schools in India. Summer internships are an ideal way to get a real-hand experience of the corporate and industrial world, especially for candidates with no work experience.

Apart from imparting the necessary skills for working in the real world, internships can also lead to full-time employment opportunities through Pre-placement Offer (PPO) or a Pre-placement Interview (PPI).

MBA summer internships are generally three months or six weeks long. In the last article, we discussed 5 tips to land a summer internship. We have also focused on how to get the most out of your summer internship.

In this article, let us look at five questions that a candidate should think about seriously during and after summer internships.

Internship is like a small window through which you can peep in to the professional world. Did you like what you see? Would like to continue there? Or a change of profile is in order?

These are some of the crucial questions that an MBA aspirant should ask themselves. Presenting five questions to ponder over during and after summer internship:

 

1. Do I want to peruse a similar profile for the next few years?

MBA aspirants generally have a three-month long tryst with a certain profile or project during the internship. This short time should enable them to understand a simple fact – do they like their work and profile? Would they like to continue working in a similar profile over the next few years?

Candidates should also take out sometime and speak to the executives at the firm. What does their daily routine entail? What are the regular deliverables? What is the future of such a profile? How is the stress-level, etc?

Based on your experience and advice from others, try to answer this crucial question: Will I be able to work in this profile for the next five to seven years?

If yes, you’ll know what to do next. If not, look at other available profiles.

 

 

2. Do I want to continue working in the same industry?

The next question an MBA aspirant should ponder over is industry. One may like their profile or the current work environment. But would they like to continue working in the same industry for a longer duration?

Take this for instance. A friend with an MBA degree went on to work in the sales department of a well-known FMCG option. After two-years, the person shifted to an auto company. The transition went well and the person is currently satisfied with the auto industry and its demands.

So it is important to know how comfortable you are with the industry and if you are willing to work in it for the next few years. You should also know what is the future of the industry. A growing industry is directly related to better opportunities.

 

3. What kind of skills are you developing?

Skillsets are an integral part of every profile and industry. You gain some new skills and develop existing skills. What one should try to keep in mind is how often they are learning new skills.

It may be difficult to understand within the short span of internships as to what skillsets does the profile require. It is a good idea to talk to the seniors during internship period and understand the requirements. Also, do make sure that the profile doesn’t get repetitive in future.

  

4. How can you expand your network?

As an MBA student, networking should be your primary focus. So during the internship period, expand your network as much as possible. Post-internship, stay in touch with all the associates via various social networking sites available. Irrespective of whether the company plans to hire you or not, leave a good and long-lasting impression.

 

5. Future remuneration

Another important aspect could be remuneration. Some domains or sector tend to pay lower salaries and incentives as compared to others. However, they may make up for job satisfaction and innovative profiles. During internship, one can get a fair idea of how the particular company or the sector or domain pays. It is appropriate to do some research on the firms and overall remuneration paid. One must also check the average growth in salary and their long-term aspiration in the entire domain/sector before deciding anything.

6 tips for a successful summer internship