HR Advice: 3 Tips On How To Get an Internship Relevant To Your Field

HR Advice: 3 Tips On How To Get an Internship Relevant To Your Field

By Tabitha Makumi,

There’s that excitement you get when you finally graduate from campus, you made it! and congratulations are highly in order. A few days down the line, the excitement thins off and you start to wonder what the next step in your life will be.

Like most people, an internship becomes the next stepping stone. “I tried applying for entry level jobs after graduation but for the life of me I couldn’t land one. This was because they were looking for someone who had a little bit of experience and I didn’t have any,” admits Peter Kioko who is currently an accounts clerk intern in a Kiambu based leading Sacco.

“When I first applied for an internship two months earlier before graduation, the Sacco had offered me a sales internship which I declined because it was not in my area of expertise. A month later after doing a follow up with them they told me a position had opened in accounting and I could start two weeks after graduation.”

But not so many of us are lucky to land a relevant internship. “I was an administration intern at a news agency based in Nairobi while all I wanted was a media internship. I ended up taking the opportunity as I figured out any internship is better than none.”

May Nyaga, a HR Practitioner with Rafiki DTM a subsidiary of Chase bank cautions that while any internship is better than none, candidates ought to know that such internships won’t help one in the future as far as gaining experience in your field is concerned

Terming herself as “a product of an internship” after landing her first job following a successful three month internship with one of the security firms in Kenya, May shares how one can ensure they do not end up gritting their teeth when it’s conveyed to them what kind of an internship they’ve managed to secure for themselves.

She says you will have to:

1. Submit your applications 2-3 months earlier
In a country where we are fond of rushing to do things on the eleventh hour, May advises that this is not the way to go about it when looking for a relevant internship. “If you want to land a relevant internship, you should send your applications earlier while still in campus so as to give the company the time to see if they can fit you in the field which you are interested in. She insists that a well laid out and customized cover letter are key and they should be specific on what kind of internship you are hoping to get.

“In some cases as it happens, they can tell you they are not (or do not) offer internships in that department and this will save you precious time because you will now shift your focus on other potential companies,” she adds.

2. Put yourself out there through networking

“In the ever competitive job market, you must take the initiative and not wait for people to come to you but go to them,” advises May.

By way of example, she adds that a normal or a regular event such as the popular ASK Agriculture shows which are held annually in Kenya or events such as Mater Heart Run which are open to the general public can be a good opportunity for one to meet potential employers. “Take initiative and introduce to this people when everyone has relaxed and downing a drink.”

“Bearing in mind that you already know the kind of internship which you are pushing for, it’s best if you took your case out there in person and have an open minded and be a go getter,” adding that you might not end up landing an internship right there and then but you can get to pose questions to professionals who can point you in the right direction.

“If one person declines your request, then ask another,” she advises

3. Do thorough research on the companies which you are interested in.

So, do you just apply for an internship in any given company that comes to mind?

“It’s upon you to do a thorough research of all the companies which you are interested in interning with and are related to your field of study.

From there you can come up with a comprehensive contact list where you can get to reach them and get to know of details such as how to apply for the internship, do they pay the interns and when the internship program will take place. “

She adds that, just because it’s not a paid internship that’s not good enough reason to turn it down. “There are a lot of companies nowadays offering paid internships and if you can get one, good for you. If you can’t, that’s not good enough reason to turn it down especially if it’s in your field of interest.”

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