Internship must be mutually beneficial for both student and employer

Andy Pacino, teaching and learning coordinator, Dubai campus, Murdoch University In an age of high youth unemployment, it is vital that youngsters gain the benefit of higher education in order to secure themselves a decent start in life, and a good career. A high degree grade shows employers that candidates are able to attain a certain level of expertise in a certain sphere over a certain length of time. The grade indicates a level of dedication and intelligence, and the better the grade; the better a student demonstrates his ability.

With so much competition for so few jobs, there is an added pressure of bringing experience to the table at an interview, and the best way of gaining that all-important hands-on knowledge comes in the shape of an internship. Interns are an integral part of many workplaces, and they provide great proving grounds for prospective employees, and give employers the chance to test out a prospective worker. Even better is direct experience in the field of study. An IT student with a couple of months work at one of Dubai’s many tech compa- nies, for example, offers a competitive edge and a far better chance of landing an IT job than someone who is fresh out of university with only theoretical knowledge to offer.

I am a big fan of internships, however, I believe they must be mutually beneficial for both student and employer. At Murdoch University, I am responsible for ensuring the right candidate gets the post that serves him best. An intern should never replace a full-time worker, neither should they merely hang around and shadow another employee. The idea is that the company gets the benefit of an extra pair of hands while the intern gains vital inside knowledge of the workplace. It’s a heuristic learning curve as the dynamics of the work place is worlds apart from university life, and that cannot be gained in the lecture room.

Time management is also very important, and a 40-hour a week post would be detrimental to studies. Ideally, the internship should be a couple of hours a day after studies, or a full day or two, like a weekend job that allows classroom theory to be put into practice.

A real world workplace also means real world money, though internships are an in-between, so while some internships pay nothing, I am a firm believer that there

Ideally, the internship should be a couple hours a day after studies, or a full day or two, like a weekend job.”

should be a small stipend to cover at least travel and food allowance. This has a double benefit: it shows commitment from the company, and encourages the intern to attend the post in a professional manner.

I have received numerous letters of thanks and encouragement from former interns and companies alike, and have heard very few horror stories, and there are plenty of examples of students and postgraduates who end up working with the companies they intern at, and the huge majority say their experience was extremely beneficial.

Murdoch University has recently launched a dedicated careers portal that links employers to students and graduates with keywords and search terms, matching the ideal candidate to their perfect job, whether it is an internship or full time position. The service operates on a similar platform as many other intern websites, though it is entirely free for employers. In a nutshell, internships are of great value to employers, students and graduates, and my advice is to give it a go.