Come summer, and B-Schools start working on getting the best of the organizations for their students for pursuing internship. SIPs (Summer Internship Programmes) are critical for the MBA students on multiple grounds. The SIP provides students the corporate exposure they are lacking. A period of 6 – 8 weeks is prescribed in the curriculum of all B-Schools, and has a substantial weightage with respect to credits earned by the students.
While some students are extremely serious about these internships, there are some students who have a callous attitude towards them. Students who fail to appreciate and understand the importance of the internships, do not realize the disastrous consequences on their career.
Summer Internships need to be taken very seriously because-
- An outstanding performer can get a Pre-Placement Offer (PPO), which is a great start for any student on his CV. I remember my students at IILM who interned at Deloitte last year got a PPO from the company. Imagine you do not have to worry for campus placements as you already have an offer in hand. You can focus on improving your grades for the rest of your MBA tenure.
- The learnings that a student gains in the SIP helps him to crack the placement interviews, as most of the recruiters are looking for the practical learning gained by the candidates. SIP is the only tangible evidence of their work in the industry, and if they do their internship well, their selection chances in interviews increase tremendously.
- SIP also offers students a great networking opportunity. They can leverage their presence in the company and make good connections in all departments, which can be beneficial to them later in their lives.
- If a student performs well in their SIP, the reporting manager can give the students a LOR (Letter of Recommendation), which is a true reward for them, as it is a document of their proven credentials and helps the recruiters to take cognizance of their hard work and efforts.
- The SIP offers students to adapt himself/herself to the organizational dynamics, understand the interpersonal and interdepartmental relationships with peers and seniors, and get a hands – on learning of the organizational policies, processes and structure.
- The SIP gives students a platform to enhance his personality, etiquette, conduct and team skills at the workplace, which is where his future lies.
Also Read: Impact of Studying MBA on your Career
Summer Internships are a win-win for both the stakeholders involved: the Organization and the student. For the companies, the SIP provides them young and energetic resources who can be hired if found suitable. The cost of talent acquisition becomes very optimal for them. The MBA students can get a plethora of placement opportunities if they take their summer internship seriously. It is up to them how they make the most of it.
Some of the issues that have been seen as far as the SIP is concerned –
- Students prefer to apply in those companies which offer an attractive stipend. For them, the role and brand name does not matter. This is really a poor decision by the student, as what is more critical is their responsibilities than the money they will get.
- Sometimes the students do not go regularly to the SIP office and prefer to spend their time as a summer vacation. This attitude deprives them of the opportunity to demonstrate their KSAs to their potential recruiters.
- Sometimes the company does not give the students meaningful work, which makes the students loose their interest in their internship. In this case, the students should proactively ask for work and show their eagerness to learn through observation and shadowing. It will help create a positive image in front of their reporting managers.
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