Grow your experience with internships

It is no secret that taking part in an internship can help you expand your playing field, gain work experience, and better position yourself in your desired career.

An internship offers a professional space in which to thrive for those who wish to secure future employment.

Accepting an internship allows you to showcase your professional abilities and identify weak points.

Volunteer, but don’t lose focus

Some internships compensate you for time spent working, while others do not. This should not be your focus. Understand why you have decided to apply for an internship and do not act entitled to opportunities that may not have been offered within the contract you signed.

Work towards your goal and keep in mind your final destination. There are and will be many more opportunities for you if you prepare well for them.



Take time to evaluate your efforts and measure your previous progress. When you evaluate how you perform, you can easily determine how well you work under pressure and on other tasks within that profession.

Remember that offering to volunteer should be an additional aspect of your life.

Keep the rest of your life well attended to. If you are a student, do not neglect your studies; if you have sensitive health issues, do not neglect your personal health; and if you have psychological needs, make sure to attend to them.

Guidance is a must

In a press release based on how to embrace and ensure a smooth internship, founder of Poiyah Media, Ilke Platt, says internships have advantages and disadvantages from both an employer’s and intern’s point of view.

Some challenges include interns who lack guidance from their supervisors, given that most of them have never worked in a real working environment. "They will need guidance and direction from their supervisors if the organisation expects them to produce quality work. This often leads to frustration from a busy corporate as the demand to deliver is a high priority, on top of grooming an intern," she explains.

Platt added that interns face the challenge of being assigned tasks they are unfamiliar with or lack knowledge about. Being presented with this challenge, interns may find their internship exhausting and unfair when they are expected to do tasks they have no knowledge of and, at times, have nothing to do with their career choice, due to the need to accumulate work experience.

Finding internship opportunities can help you understand the working pressure you require for your field of study and prepare you for work in the real world.

Take time to browse through company websites, newspapers or social media platforms for available opportunities.