How Many Internships Should You Have? HR Responds

By Elizabeth Benu
In the current competitive world an internship is one of the things that puts you ahead in the corporate world. With this in mind many would be willing to even undertake up to 5 internships to get ahead.

One question persists; how many internships are one too many?

Caleb Thumbi, a final year student currently pursuing a degree in Finance- Accounting option, is confused on the number of internships he has to take to get a well paying entry level job.

“I have been advised to take many internships but I cannot figure out how many will be enough to have the recruiter settle for me. I already have one as was required by the university but I feel the need for another one. Majority of the successful people I know went for one internship only. Will taking up many internships be of advantage to me?” Mr. Thumbi writes in an email

Ms. Yvonne Abade, a Human Resource Officer at Lutheran World Federation Dadaab, sheds light on the issue.
‘How many internships are enough?’ I pose

“As many as you can. If you get an opportunity take it up, be aggressive and be ready to learn a lot from it,” she says.

She however adds that getting a chance to undertake many internships is not easy.

“Such opportunities may not be there because of financial reasons and because most of the people are looking for jobs,” Ms. Abade explains.

She also adds that other candidates are looking for first time internships and most employers will give that opportunity to those who seriously need an internship.

‘Is having more than one internship good for your career?’ I probe further

“Based on my experience it is. From internships you learn so much and sometimes things that are not along your career line. You get exposed to many things and know what is on the job instead of dwelling on hear say,” she elaborates.

Ms. Abade also confirms that the more the internships the bigger the head start over other candidates.

She however adds that, “All this depends with experience and the person. An internship should be able to give you a wide scope of the work you will be doing.”

How early should one start on their internships?

“It depends with the institution. Some require students to go for internships while others do not have a timeline for one. For those where it is a requirement,  I would advise you to start as early as possibe,” she says adding that, “This will help you plan ahead by getting things such as an insurance cover and ensuring that the organization has accepted you since the job market is wide.”

She further advises those who do not  get a chance to intern while in campus to start looking looking for one immediately after.

Ms Abade concludes by posing a question, “Are you aggressive enough to get more knowledge from an internship than the other candidate?”

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