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HKInternship journal: enhancing academic learning
The practical knowledge and experience gained partaking in an internship programme, allow students to experience real-life work situations, that will help prepare them when entering the workforce. Interning at an organisation, students learn a great deal about the practical application of the theories and concepts they learn at University.
Internship programmes help new grads transition to work
The practical knowledge and experience gained partaking in an internship programme, allow students to experience real-life work situations, that will help prepare them when entering the workforce. Interning at an organisation, students learn a great deal about the practical application of the theories and concepts they learn at University.
Sophie Vince-Gilmour, who previously interned at Drake New Zealand as an HR Intern, suggests that the theories learned at University are often not enough when entering the workforce. “Bumps and hurdles can occur throughout any work day, and I felt that the practical knowledge and experience which I gained from my internship has helped better prepare me for such bumps and hurdles which I have encountered in my new HR role,” says Sophie.
Students are exposed to how corporations operate, how multinational corporations remains relevant to its local population, and the importance of relationship building. Partaking in an internship programme also builds on the students confidence as they improve and increase their own personal knowledge, skills, attributes and competencies, which can only be gained through practical experience.
“Through the internship programme, I was able to gain exposure to the interview process, how to phone screen, how to reference check pre-employment, and the importance of organising and updating paperwork,” says Elysia Hayman, who previously interned at Drake New Zealand as an HR Intern. “I was also able to gain experience using a client and candidate database, an applicant tracking system, and social media for recruitment mostly around LinkedIn and Facebook. The exposure and experience using these systems was fundamental to the permanent role in Human Resources that I gained after the internship,” she adds.
Interns are exposed to the reality of working in an organisation. Learning how to use workplace specific technology, how to deal with workplace conflict, how to effectively communicate with those in executive positions and how to work independently. These organisational skills, students are not able to learn at University, therefore it is of utmost importance for students to partake in an internship programme.
This is the fourth post in a series outlining the benefits of taking on an internship programme.
My name is Corne van Niekerk and I am the Communications / Public Relations Intern at Drake New Zealand. I am currently completing my Bachelor in Communication, majoring in Public Relations. My project over the next few weeks is to interview the interns at Drake New Zealand, on what they love most about interning at Drake and what they have learned. This internship journal will give you insight into the benefits of, for a student, partaking in an internship programme.
Please the first post, focusing on the ‘Benefits of hiring an intern’, to gain a better understanding as to how organisations benefit when taking on an internship programme.
