VOLUME 7 ISSUE 1
PREVIEW
Cover Story
Internships A college student has an undeniably hectic life. The modern day student is tasked with handling the combined pressures of maintaining good grades, juggling extracurricular activities, and preserving some semblance of a social life. College is an opportunity to stand outside the world for a few years, between the comfort of home and the exigencies of career, and contemplate things from a distance. This is the stage of their life where students are expected to figure out where their passions lie, and work towards acquiring necessary skills to start their career in their chosen fields. Internships serve this very purpose; it gives students an opportunity to discover their interests and acquire skills to further their ambition. Whichever career path a student chooses, internship experiences play a major role in determining one’s employability and research potential.
Our institute values the merits of internships and has even allocated credits to the internship program in the curriculum. For instance, students have to undergo a two month internship worth two credits in their third year (for B.Tech) and first year (for M.Tech) summer breaks. While fourth year B.Arch students are required to undergo a 5 month internship which accounts for 10 credits in their curriculum. In this cover story, we hope to answer a few common questions that students have about internships. We look at the different options a student has, and try to provide a rough guideline for the most common types of internships students in this campus choose to do. We also look at statistics collected from students in NIT-T about the kind of internships they do, and how effective they are. We aim to clear a student’s mind of any sort of uncertainty they might face while making career choices that have a long standing impact.
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Types of Internships internships A student isn’t expected to know where their interests lie immediately after entering college. Usually, students spend their first year settling down and getting used to a new college atmosphere, while slowly preparing themselves for the grueling academic schedule that would hit them in the years to come. In our institute, students decide to choose between research and jobs based on the guidance and advice acquired from seniors and professors. The lack of proper career guidance creates a lot of confusion and can even be discouraging to students. Hence, the surest test of gauging one’s interest in a particular field is an internship. This section will talk about the different types of internships a student can do, and what avenues these internships open up.
research fellowships to 2nd and 3rd year students of all departments. The application process usually opens in November, after which the academy funds selected candidates to pursue research in different labs and universities.
Research Internships
DAAD-WISE - This programme offers opportunities
Most students join NIT-T with the intention of pursuing a career in engineering or applied sciences related to their departments. Research internships are the surest way to test one’s interest in their core department of study. A research internship entails doing a project at an academic institution or a private research body. The project involves an extensive study of a particular area of study, and can be either theoretical or experimental in nature. Research internships can be done in the summer and winter breaks of one’s 2nd and 3rd year, as well as during the academic semester.
Research Scholarships IAS - The Indian Academy of Sciences offers summer
JNCASR - The Jawarharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research offers a summer fellowship programme in many core engineering fields. The application process begins in early November. SN Bose Fellowship - The top 2 students of every department (based on CGPA) is given an opportunity and funding to pursue an internship at a university of higher education or a research centre in the USA. and financial aid to Indian students pursuing a degree in the fields of science and engineering who wish to do an internship at a German higher education institution or at a research institute. Though not explicitly stated, students with a CGPA higher than 9.3 usually benefit from this scholarship. Do remember that DAAD applications process is a lengthy one and even requires one to translate website content from German to English.
MITACS - This programme offers opportunities and financial aid to Indian students who wish to do an internship at a university of higher education in Canada. Acceptance into this programme is purely based on the quality of application, and generally students with a CGPA above 8.0 stand a chance of getting this scholarship.
How How to to Apply? Apply? The easiest way to apply for an internship is via an email. The following text aims to give a broad step-by-step procedure on how to apply for a research internship. Note : This does not apply for any scholarship programme. 1.
Identify your area of interest: It is a good idea to try and find out where your interests lie, based on coursework you have already done/yet to do. 2. Shortlisting: It is a good idea to visit the department websites of IISc, the IITs, the IISERs etc, and discover research groups who are working on a project which relates to your area of interest. One could also talk to professors from their department, asking for contacts and referrals in their field of interest. 3. Database: Create a database of the professors you intend to contact, their research interests and their contact details; all of which can easily be found in the department website of every university/research centre. 4. Mailing: Once your area of research is decided and list of professors are shortlisted, start emailing them about internship opportunities. DO NOT send the same generic email to everyone, but personalize it based on your interests in the recipient’s research work. It is a good idea to start applying from November; professors usually like to decide their research schedule well in advance. Apart from sending an email, one can also make a phone call or even physically meet the potential project guide.
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related subjects. Companies have different criteria and
CHARPAK - This program is run by the Embassy processes for interns.
of France in India and involves a similar process as DAAD. However, the programme provides internship in French institutions and is said to have no limiting CGPA criterion.
Note: In all the above instances it is suggested that you have a resume prepared with academic, project/internship co-curricular and extracurricular details. Use the Latex software to prepare your resume, if possible. Also, these internship applications require students to submit at least one and up to three letters of recommendation from different professors, preferably department professors who have taught you.
Company Internships
Company internships are completely different from research internships. They open up new career perspectives and provide an insight to the real time application of research and academic concepts. Companies open for interns in core, management, techno management, and software and hardware profiles.The nature of these profiles vary for departments and companies. However, at a company internship, irrespective of the profile, one will essentially learn a lot about time and resource management, work ethics, and company politics.
On Campus - The Training and Placement cell of NIT Trichy opens internships for third year B.Tech students. Students who wish to sit for company internships, need to have their resumes ready, prepare for aptitude tests and also have a good knowledge of branch
Email and LinkedIn - Not all companies that visit
our campus open for interns. Also, if you wish to pursue your internship at a startup, corporate firm, design house or any other organisation, you will have to mail your resume along with a convincing cover letter to the respective HR personnel. LinkedIn is an excellent platform to network with companies, for interns and placements. Ensuing rounds may involve interviews (via Skype, telephone etc) and in some cases, task(s) submission. Architecture students usually secure their internships through this process.
Websites - Websites like internshala.com and twen-
ty19.com list out thousands of internships. However, most students find it difficult to secure an internship with convenient timings or satisfactory pay or benefits. These sites could be of better help in semester break following the first year.
Contacts - If none of the above options seem viable, it’s always possible to acquire an internship through mutual contacts. Here too, you will have to send a mail and even attend interviews. Note: Most companies recruit interns with the intention of absorbing them into the company. Interns have an edge over fresh recruits in terms of exposure to the company work culture. Hence it is imperative to take a company internship very seriously, especially in the third year summer break.
How to to Apply? Apply? How 1. Identify your area of interest: Decide the area you wish to pursue a career in- core, management or software. 2. Study profiles: List out the possible profiles you wish to work under. For instance, product design, business analysis etc. Run a thorough research on your profile and find associated companies. Try to understand if your skillset matches with the minimum requirements of this profile, and if you will need to learn anything new, like a software. 3. Study your company of interest: Search the internet for information and reviews about the companies you’ve shortlisted. Talk to people who are working in these companies or a have knowledge about the companies. 4. Work atmosphere: Read about the timings, the type of work interns are expected to carry out, the promised pay and most important, what the company has to offer interns. 5. Resume: Prepare a good resume. Include previous intern/project experiences, softwares you’ve learnt, your co- curricular and extra-curricular activities, apart from your GPAs and academic achievements. 6. Online test preparation: Prepare for aptitude tests. Students usually refer to authors like Arun Sharma and R.S Agarwal for aptitude tests. Companies always question on department related subjects. Finally, work on your communication and management skills, and try to be enthusiastic and convincing in your interview. All companies prefer interns who are willing to learn.
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Internship Experiences In a survey conducted by Team Feeds, 69% students stated that their internships were very useful in a way or the other. However, they did highlight certain shortcomings. Many interns felt they were underworked and had very little to contribute. They attributed this to the lack of organisation and mediocre guidance at an internship, especially in case of company internships. In some instances, students felt that the companies or guides would have involved them in more demanding and significant projects if the internship period lasted
for 4 to 6 months. On the other hand, interns who received proper guidance, had a very good feedback and learning experience, highlighting even the minutest details. Every intern has a unique story to tell. While some stories are exceptional, most are humdrum. Here, we have put together a few intern experiences to provide a picture of how internships influence students and help understand their choices and perceptions.
Girish Girish Kumar, Kumar, Civil Civil 4th 4th year year
This summer, through the DAAD Wise Scholarship 2017, I underwent a research internship at Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany. I was under the guidance of Professor. Dr. Jens Schneider who was specialised in Glass Structures and Structural Mechanics, at the Institute of Structural Mechanics and Design. I was allotted to work on the topic, “Numerical analysis of cavitation effects on rubber like material�. Initially, it seemed complicated but as my guide explained the concepts and theory slowly, I gained interest and enthusiasm. The internship was well planned with weekly tasks and reports. The education system is very flexible, anyone can walk into any lecture and attend it. Students have advanced research laboratory facilities and professional guides for operating and explaining all equipments. Every weekend, I went on a lot of exciting trips. I visited Paris, Austria, Netherlands, Swiss, Solvenia, Teiberg (Black forest), Munich, and few local cities inside Germany. I must also remark at the punctuality, level of planning, management, and coordination of the transportation system there. This experience has changed my life in many ways and had put a mark in my academic career and my social life!
Allan AllanSudhakar, Sudhakar,ECE ECE4th 4thyear year
My first internship was at BSNL which was completely technical where I learnt a lot on the current communication developments. My second and third one was at Siemens which was through campus. It was a technical cum managerial intern and was a very good learning experience. You could get a glimpse of the corporate world and at the same time equipping yourself with the cutting edge technology provided.
Afnan, Afnan, Mechanical Mechanical 3rd 3rd year year
I did my research internship at IISC Bangalore. It was a great experience for me. I was in a fellowship program in the biomechanics lab. It was the subject that excited me the most. Though I was from an engineering background it was relatively easy for me to grasp many of the biological details and implement it in my project. Being able to find my own solutions to a problem in a feasible and economical way was the most critical skill I developed during my stay there. My 2 month internship at IISC has given me the confidence to go behind my passion and implement my own ideas rather than running behind jobs and placements.
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Cover Story
Here are the results of the survey that Feeds conducted among the students of NITT. Type of internship pursued. Research
Core
Management
First Internship
None
Other
Second Internship
Third Internship
How did you secure your internships? On-campus
Websites
First Internship
Fellowship
Mailing Professors
Second Internship
Contacts
No Internship
Third Internship
Conclusion This cover story spoke about internships - its necessity, the options that are available and different student experience. Students had a mixed response to internships. While none felt it was unnecessary to undergo an internship, most students expecting a break in the holidays initially perceived internships as a cumbersome process rather than an opportunity. Students tend to undergo internships for the mere purpose of fulfilling academic requirements, and a resume uplift. It was observed that, in some cases students apply out of peer pressure and very few voluntarily seek an internship. This attitude is understandable since internships or any training processes demand dedication, and patience, and time. In the beginning, every intern feels undervalued and believes his/her internship is a lost cause. The truth is, it takes at least two weeks to appreciate or
judge the work you’ve been absorbed into. As an intern, one has to approach others, interact with strangers, mine for data, and help with ongoing work or projects. Interns need to constantly push themselves- a lot of self-learning is required. Some students even end up learning a new software and techniques during their internship. The experience is tiring and even feels unfair; most interns reach a point where they wish to quit. But with some amount of will and perseverance, everyone finds satisfaction. Many interns even believe a longer internship would improve the quality of internships. Towards the end of the internship, while drafting the end report, every intern is grateful for the experience. Whether good or bad, internships yield students a sapience on work culture and politics and finally re-instill a belief that academics and research serve a real time purpose. The quality of an internship is important. Make the best of it.
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