INTERNSHIPS offer exciting and insightful experiences that can help determine the exact career choices among undergraduates.
As an internship coordinator for a local private university in Ipoh, these are what we strive to provide to our students.
It is pertinent to allow them to explore their hidden talents and examine the changing landscapes of the industries they are attached to, so that they can identify further self-improvements needed, especially in the fast-paced era of Industry 4.0.
Studies have shown that internship programmes are the deciding factor for most entry-level jobs among fresh graduates.
Nothing can be truer than the fact that students who possess the necessary skills to adapt to changes are able to realise their fullest potentials and, subsequently, better serve the communities around them.
Research has proven that successful internships are based on several key predictors, including academic preparedness, interns’ positive attitude, and support from worksite supervision. That’s why higher learning institutions have been allocating academic credits for students pursuing internship programmes so that the engagement is better served.
Moreover, academic staff who train students unreservedly become instrumental in ensuring students gain added value on par with international needs.
The tremendous impact industry partners have in influencing the learning curves of students is undeniable, and they play a significant role in raising the bar for budding, young minds. Supportive industry partners are indeed a shot in the arm for placing trust among students to perform gratifying professional work.
One rewarding work that can be shared is by graduate Ian Chang Di Sheng, 23, who recently fulfilled his Bachelor of Mass Communication (Hons) in Journalism. He has completed an internship with PTT Outdoor in Ipoh, which is better known for its outdoor gears. Chang has since been offered to join a local gaming chair company as its junior content creator.
As his internship coordinator, it was quite exhilarating to discover that his superiors were showering praises for his competent handling of their website information. Chang had also published several write-ups for avid trekkers to gain more tips on travelling and maintaining their outdoor equipment.
One story that piqued my interest is on the cleaning steps of “hydration bladders”, in which Chang shared that these are soft plastic packs with drinking tubes where hard-on-trail trekkers do not need to stop to drink water. We can all learn something from Chang’s step-by-step guide.
Apart from Chang, Koo Kar Hui, who pursued a Bachelor of Corporate Communication (Hons), is another focused and driven student who successfully completed her internship at Foretech Technology Sdn Bhd, a web design and development company. The 23-year-old was able to offer high quality content for reputable brands, boosting online visibility for clients while performing data analysis, and crafting engaging brand messages for websites. Unsurprisingly, she has already been offered a permanent job as a campaign specialist for a marketing company.
Ruth Wilson Das, 21, an international student pursuing a Bachelor of Mass Communication (Hons) in Advertising, is known for his reverberating ideas among his fellow batch mates. These pulsations transformed into several attractive ad designs on billboards along highways in the Klang Valley while he was interning at Fire Fighter Industry Sdn Bhd.
If you spot the Fire Fighter billboards while on the road, be sure to know that Ruth is behind its creative process. He has also written features on the company’s diverse services. One well-researched and newsworthy article is about what fire doors are.
The company has already expressed keen interest in hiring Ruth. This is a testament that, when provided with the right career options and support, students can trailblaze in their preferred field.
These are indeed transformative times in the country where jobs are redesigned and even replaced. It is never too late for higher learning institutions to provide solutions in the face of digitalisation taking over the future of jobs.
Therefore, the roles of internship coordinators become even more pressing to ensure students are able to adapt to technological advancements by any measure. The aim is to provide relevant knowledge and skills for students to excel in whichever field they opt for. – The Vibes, November 15, 2021
Kalei Joethi Sahadevan is a senior lecturer and programme coordinator for journalism at Quest International University, Ipoh. She also coordinates the internship programme for the university’s school of communication, and can be contacted at [email protected]
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