|
Q
I am a subscriber to your newsletters. A big thank you for a job
well-done as you sensitize and educate us. What is internship and its
role? I hold a Bachelor's degree and I'm undergoing training and
preparing for certification. I have been advised to seek an internship
position in Information technology to put my training into use under
professional supervision.
Please,
could you advise me as to the best way to go about this, and what should
my considerations be as I seek for a place to achieve this aim. What is
the relevance of internship for an IT career? Where can I serve as an
intern? I really need hands on job experience before getting advanced
certification.
A
Thank you for your kind and encouraging comments. I commend you on your
efforts to develop and create opportunities for yourself. Direction and
planning are certainly critical for career management. This is
particularly important for developing your career in IT. It's important
to have the right attitude towards knowledge and experience. Career
progress requires a deep understanding of the importance of work
experience. Though you can acquire knowledge and skills from training
and other learning resources, in the technology field, work experience
is key for relevant career growth. Getting work experience isn’t exactly
easy street for most newcomers. But it always helps to have a total
picture that shows an understanding of the need and opportunities. I
will offer some suggestions while on your part you have to be creative
in getting benefit.
You will need to understand the benefits and essence of internship as
well as the nature of internships. How can you make the most out of your
internship experience? And which areas should you consider for such
opportunities?
Understand Internship
When analyzing the nature of work an IT person does, it is possible to
divide up the IT sphere into two major areas of business support and
academics/research. Business support refers IT professionals involved in
the use of IT in all aspects of life – commercial, education, social and
government. While academics/research refers to individuals involved in
the academic and research side of IT. Irrespective of the environment
the distinction is in the nature of work carried out the individual. For
example an IT professional providing operations, support and programming
services in a university for student records is providing business
support. The other person (working in a university or the lab of a
software firm) that teaches and investigates vulnerabilities and secure
programming is carrying out academics/research work.
Though many academic institutions provide qualifications and a solid
grasp of the fundamentals in academics and research, business support is
a major minus. Many students graduating with certifications or degrees
are unprepared to deal with the needs of the environment. Qualifications
aren’t enough. What all sectors of society need are individuals who are
ready to solve problems and create opportunities using IT from day one.
The market and society wants thinking contributors not just
qualifications.
Educational institutions attempt to address this deficiency by building
industrial programs and internships into their degree programs. Most
academic programs relating to technology require students to perform
internship at specific stages of their academic programs. Such academic
programs incorporate work experience as an integral part of a student’s
core curriculum.
Graduates and certified individuals who wish to develop hands-on work
experience can also take the initiative to secure internships. During
such periods of internship, students get exposed to working life and
experience, where they gain some hands-on skills.
continued
on:
Internship Requirements (2)
Jide Awe
Jide Awe is the Publisher of Jidaw.com
|
January 8, 2011
Nyasha
of Hwange, Zimbabwe says:
|
I had been been coming across a lot of useless stuff concerning
this topic. And then you just sum it all up in just one article.
Thank you very much.
|
|
December 17, 2008
Shaahu Jimmy
of Ajah, Lagos, Nigeria
says:
|
Very inspiring!
I have been visiting this site for time now but i have never
come to this corner but this is very wonderful of you guys in
Jidaw at least we newcomers fo IT now have some where to run to
for advice. I just finished MCSE training at NIIT but not yet
certified but I would like to go for internship first thank
you.
|
|
October 7, 2008
Clinton of Port Harcourt
says:
|
Your article on internship was wonderful but how do I get a
place for my internship program because I really need it in
order to get a practical knowledge of my MCSE certification.
|
Page Top
|
|
|
