The Internship curriculum is designed for the students to gain practical experience, skill development, industry exposure, professional development, and networking opportunities. Every student has a unique requirement, and an internship provides a platform for self-discovery and exploration.?
It provides a glimpse into the professional world, allowing them to expand their horizons, prepare for the future, and understand how organisations function and the importance of teamwork and shared goals. However, since the concept of internships at the school level is relatively new, expecting students to excel in all domains is an unrealistic expectation.
Students at Shiv Nadar School, Gurgaon, have undergone internships in multiple domains ranging from STEM to performing arts, law, journalism, designing, sports management, psychology, hospitality to content writing.?
Internship not only helps them to gain the domain knowledge but also develop other skills:
Students develop verbal and written communication, active listening and interpersonal skills. They interact with their team mentors, group members and clients, which helps them gain confidence. They are able to exhibit these skills while writing their statement of purpose for universities.
They learn to value the relevance of time management, as following timelines is the key to success. It enhances productivity and increases their dependability quotient. This skill helps them function well in their final year of high school when managing their academics, co-scholastic activities, and college applications.
Research-?They are given assignments by their organisations where they need to do deep research, thus enabling them to gather relevant information, analyse data and make informed decisions. By engaging in research, students gain valuable insights that can guide their choices while selecting their major at college, career path or industry of interest.
Professionalism ¨C?Students learn the importance of taking ownership of their responsibilities, managing time effectively and delivering results accordingly. Their reputation as reliable and dependable individuals encourages them to understand the significance of professional decorum. This skill helps them when they are interacting with prospective university representatives as well as their teachers.
When they step into uncharted territory, facing challenges and potential setbacks. This helps them to recognise failure as an opportunity for growth and learning and develops resilience, adaptability, and perseverance. When they encounter rejections from universities, they can evaluate the reasons and move forward.
Internships provide a platform for identifying the root cause of their failure, brainstorming new approaches and working on new strategies enabling critical thinking, creativity, and resourcefulness.?
Accepting setbacks fosters emotional intelligence and self-awareness in students leading to an understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and areas of improvement.?
Internships provides students with a valuable learning experience that bridges the gap between academic and the professional world. The students gain practical knowledge, establish industry connections, and make informed decisions about their academic and career journey.?
About the author: Tanushree Sinha is the head of career guidance centre, Shiv Nadar School, Gurgaon. All views/opinions?expressed in the article are of the author.?