Internship programmes are meant to prepare fresh graduates as they join the job market and as such, they should be engaged in various organizational activities unlike being stuck in one department doing the same thing day in day out.
You’ve probably been stuck in traffic more than a couple of times especially when you are in a rush. You can’t help it but give that traffic police a hard-eyed look hoping he sees the frustration and lets the traffic flow. Meet Kelvin Okerio, whom we’ve featured previously. He happens to be that type of breed of fresh graduates that employers look for. Hunger for knowledge, experience and growth. “It’s not really about the money, ” he said during an interview we had at our offices referring to some of the interns who ended up quitting the programme. Here are some of the internship experiences he shared with us as he awaits to fly out to Australia to advance his studies on a scholarship. Well, his opportunities don’t seem to be stuck in traffic. They keep coming one after the other; boy must be lucky, an internship and scholarship right after campus!
Through his shared 6 month internship experience at Microsoft 4Afrika Skills programme, I couldn’t help being awed and being happy for him at the same time. Imagine interning at a company that values you just like any of its employees. Giving you a mentor to see you through your programme, projects to work on deliver and implement, interact with other interns globally e.t.c. On top of all that, receiving a phone call weekly from the parent company in South Africa enquiring on your progress and possible challenges not only proves how valued you are but also someone has your best interest at heart. The programme focused on holistic development of the interns whereby they undertook learning modules which aimed inculcating leadership, basic business, presenting and team playing skills just to name a few.
There is a lot that can be borrowed by most companies from such a company. Internship programmes are meant to prepare fresh graduates as they join the job market and as such they should be engaged in various organizational activities unlike being stuck in one department doing the same thing day in day out. Eventually, the same interns some years down the line would want to join your organization as experienced professionals and you would want them to be at their best. It doesn’t require as much resources to achieve this but setting time aside to just monitor and develop talent.
Kelvin, who found the Fuzu Career coaching service and blog articles helpful, was so keen on advising job seekers on managing their expectations especially on their first jobs but rather focus on learning and gaining experience.
