Internships Archives - DU Beat - Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper

The Internship Exodus: Black Mirror Season 7 EP 1

By DU Beat July 5, 2023

The article is a take on the internship culture, the dilemma it presents to college undergrads and the possible alternative solutions that seem to summarize a student’s summer break post pandemic .

If I had to pitch in the latest episode of black mirror that intrinsically captures the essential collapse of society, I might just bring to the table the possible plot of a dystopia the summer break essentially is, with a love triangle, featuring the insane tension between a college student, summer internships and the reclusive possibilities of an actual summer vacation.

An intern is an unfledged hustler entering what’s basically the hunger games of employment where undergrads try to maximize any and every chance to be pumped out as career ready hirelings. The internship culture has taken the entirety of universities across the globe as an efficient yet at times, a deceptive ploy at adulting.

The benefits of internships range from cost effective employment drives to efficient skill set peddling, a channel of networking and hands on experience in fields the student tends to value more than the drowsy July lectures in sepia toned stifling classrooms, no wonder it seems like the perfect step in the “type A” coded corporate world. But internships aren’t the typical “grabbing coffee for your boss and excel sheet presentations in office ” Nancy Myers fantasy, but rather a tight rope of balancing deadlines and breakdowns.

Even though a stipend incentivised internships offer an angel’s halo to the ever broke student stereotype, they can be exceedingly exploitive in the favour of the status quo and when this exploitation is mechanized as a necessity by colleges coupled with the peer pressure of ‘not doing enough’ it becomes a problem at hand, a predicament that Delhi University undergraduates currently juxtapose with their one shot at having a true summer break for once. While one section decides to upscale through the increasingly popular advent of ‘summer schools’ , the other has an undeterred resolve of the ‘perfect CV’ that has their most fancied summer internships as the crown jewel, while others fancy their truly deserved summer break in the sweet nostalgia of their home towns or fancy holidays that make up a core memory .

The onset of adulthood, the anxiousness of leaving your formative years behind too fast and the ruthless race to succeed in an unforgiving world – all adds up to the truly tormenting experience of being a college student facing the brink of the summer break .

UGC Approves Guidelines; Makes Internships Compulsory for UG Courses

By Manasvi Kadian May 15, 2022

The UGC-approved guidelines make internships compulsory for students pursuing undergraduate courses. The guidelines come after the UGC’s previous attempt at bolstering student participation in internships and other similar activities. Read to find out more.

On Tuesday, 10th May 2022, the University Grants Commission (UGC) approved the guidelines for making research internships compulsory for students pursuing undergraduate courses. These guidelines come in accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 which also aimed at making such internships compulsory for all graduation courses. The guidelines mention two purposes of these internships– “to enhance employability of an individual student” and “to develop research aptitude of an individual student”.

The integration of Research, Innovation and Technology Development is the foundation of Atma-Nirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India). An institutionalisation of Research Internship at Undergraduate Levels is expected to play a pivotal role in catalysing inter-disciplinary/multi-disciplinary/transdisciplinary and translational research culture embedded in NEP 2020,” read the guidelines from UGC.

Internship Length

While this step makes internships compulsory for all students, the length of the internship would depend upon the duration of the course a student might be pursuing. Students pursuing a four-year degree course with research would have to do 10 weeks of internship along with one year of actual research work. The students pursuing a four-year undergraduate course without research will also have to do at least 8-10 weeks of internship. Even in the case of students wishing to exit their FYUP programme after the second or the fourth semester, the completion of one internship of 8-10 weeks is compulsory.

ugc internships

Source: news.careers360.com

Credit System

The completion of the internship would award the student with 10 credits upon a completion of 450 hours. This means that 1 credit implies a minimum of 45 hours of engagement in internship work and activities. Students in FYUP would have to complete an internship amounting to a minimum of 20 credits.

In addition, the UGC has also proposed to respective higher education institutions (HIEs) to offer Research Ability Enhancement Courses (REAC) worth 10 credits.

Few Research Ability Enhancement Courses (RAEC) in research and analytical tools and techniques, worth 10 credits, to be offered during the 7th semester as pre-requisite courses for 4-year degree (Research) students, …. Research work in the form of dissertation/project work preferably in interdisciplinary/multi-disciplinary/trans-disciplinary areas worth 30 credits,” read the draft.

Research Supervisors

Under research projects, students will be attached to research supervisors, preferably belonging to other HEIs, for a specified duration at the research facility of the supervisors to conduct a time-bound internship project. Students would be given hands-on training in research equipment, methodologies, techniques, etc., and would learn other aspects of research training, allowing them to gain experience.

Research internship experience can be gained by working with faculty/ scientists in education institutes, research institutions, industrial research labs, nationally reputed organisations and individual persons distinguished in specific fields,” the guidelines read.

Application

Students would be allowed to apply for internships on their own or through faculty mentors by registering on an online portal. After registration and application, students will be selected based on the selection criteria specified under different internships. Further communication would take place with the potential intern through the portal itself or via email, with the host organisation asking for confirmation or acceptance. After that, the students can join the internship upon getting permission from the parent organisation.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Student will undergo internship in the supervisor’s lab/ working space at the host organisation. During the period of internship, the parent HEI through the mentor will arrange to keep track of the activities and performance of students as interns at the host organisation, based on periodic reports submitted by students,” the draft reads.

After completing the internship, the students will also have to submit an internship report, copies of which will be submitted to their parent organisation and the host organisation.

Upon completion of the internship, the student would be given a certificate by the organisation.

Feature image: Financial Express

Manasvi Kadian

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The Intern’s Dilemma: Fledgling Start-up Vs Established MNC

By Shivani Dadhwal March 5, 2020

Adding fuel to the start-up versus Multi-national Corporation (MNC) debate, we discuss the pros and cons that both the entities have on offer for college interns.

“IIM Lucknow has a median salary of X INR!”

“Great, but IIM Calcutta recorded (X+Y) INR last year.”

“That’s nothing, FMS (Faculty of Management Studies) Delhi went all the way to (X+Y+Z) INR this placement season.”

More often than not, most of us have had similar conversations, which perfectly encapsulate the current rat-race involving institutions, companies and jobs in the country.

With the increasing number of access points of good quality higher education in the country, coupled with innovative methods of teaching going far beyond the pages of the academic curriculum, the past two decades have witnessed an enormous rise in competition among graduates and post graduates for jobs, both in the private and the public sector.

This cut-throat competition necessitates the need for job applicants to stand out from the crowd if they wish to get a decent working position in a – preferably creamy layer – company, which means they need to stack up their curriculum vitae, or resume, the most prominent catalyst instrumental in landing them their dream job in their dream company, the importance for which was aptly described by writer Mokokoma Mokhonoana as, “Give a typical employee a million and he is most likely to use the money to print his CV on fancier paper”.

An ideal Curriculum Vitae (CV) of a fresh graduate or post-graduate contains, apart from academic and extra-curricular achievements, a list of organisations or companies where he/she spent time attempting to learn the particular trade, or in other words, worked as an intern. This list of internships gives the prospective employer examining the CV a fair idea of the applicant’s capability and area of expertise, and also a stamp of validation. “Sometimes your marks might not be able to land you a seat in a prestigious university abroad, or a prestigious company, but the right amount of internships at the right places surely can,” said a University of Delhi, Professor, on the condition of anonymity.

One’s CV undoubtedly holds a huge stake and influence in one’s future, and thus, an undergraduate student needs to take calculated decisions while choosing one’s preferred places of internship. With the country riding on a remarkable rise of economic and industrial growth, numerous successful start-ups have popped up, while already existing corporate firms have registered gains. A huge dilemma which students, mostly freshers, face, is making the choice between interning at a growing start-up or interning at an established multinational corporate. Both entities have certain distinct characteristics which might be a stimulant for some, and a deterrent for others.

Writing for Business World, Pulkit Jain describes start-ups as comprising of “casual wear, no-formalities-involved-group-discussions , no fixed working hours, fresh and flexible” while for MNCs he writes “formal wear, sophisticated meetings, nine to five on the dot working hours, prim and proper,” thus driving home the significant gulf between the work atmosphere and living spaces of both entities.

To the inquisitive and innovative intern with an entrepreneurial bent of mind, the flexible and out-of-the-box attitude of the start-up would be more appealing – though opining that MNCs do not receive such types of interns at all, would be a wrong assumption to make. Working at a start-up also allows for more widespread exposure to the corporate space and atmosphere for a new entrant, due to the relative absence of an in-built hierarchy. The intern will get to juggle a wider variety of roles, sometimes even highly critical ones, as opposed to the MNCs which mostly have a distinct horizontal separation of numerous departments and a distinct vertical hierarchy, and thus will offer a distinct and smaller role.

But a valuable point to be noted is that working in a smaller role will allow for far more specialisation in that particular area of expertise and shall allow the entrant to perform well in similar roles in the future. A significant number of people would prefer to learn specific skills in depth, with a security net, one at a time, instead of trying to juggle and gain experience in multiple areas of expertise at once, though conversely the latter would have a considerable amount of takers too.

One area in which the MNC has sole bragging rights over the start-up is brand name and recognition – not taking into consideration extremely successful unicorn start-ups like Flipkart, Swiggy, Byju’s etc. While the start-up might provide an intern with an unorthodox set of ideas and new working styles, something which the MNC will not, it cannot be denied that work or internship experience at a well-established conglomerate, say Goldman Sachs, or Deloitte, weighs far heavier than one at a start-up, on a CV, and might turn out to be a clinical deal clincher when the candidate applies for a full-time job in the future. In fact, interning at such a place also increases the chance of the candidate being offered a job at the same company after his/her graduation.

A start-up allows more freedom in terms of expression of ideas, as opposed to the largely orthodox and time-tested work methods applied in the conglomerate structure. Thus, the risk factor in MNCs is low while its significantly high in start-ups. Outcomes are extreme in the start-up world, and a large proportion of them fail in the initial stages itself. Out of the small proportion which do manage to stay afloat, an ever smaller proportion is ultimately able to rise to sub-unicorn and unicorn levels, albeit in a short time. This can be beneficial for interns and new entrants who were a part of the start-up in the initial stages, who might get top designations in a very short while. On the other hand, in MNCs, the rise to the top of the company takes several years.

Every college student has different ambitions and attitudes, some are ready to take risks, some want a secure future, some wish to build their own company, some wish to work in their dream company. Interning at a conglomerate and at a start-up nurture these different paths for them. Japneet Singh, a Computer Science undergraduate at IIT Delhi, opines, “It’s not right or wrong to choose a particular option between the two, both offer valuable learning experiences and I think one should make the choice based on one’s needs and ambitions”.

Featured Image Credits: Analytics India Magazine

Araba Kongbam

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Part-time Activities For College Students

By Shivani Dadhwal February 6, 2020

College is not just an educational institution but a foundation that prepares students to survive efficiently in their life ahead. Unlike school, college-going youth has a comparatively lesser workload with respect to studies, leaving them with greater time for themselves. Keeping the same in mind this article lists some of the effective ways to utilise these crucial hours, involvement in which will not only help in giving a boost to the resume but will also be of benefit for the overall personality development.

1. Internships – In today’s world where the number of people for employment becomes two-fold every year, there is a constant increase in the competition for getting jobs. In such a situation the companies of repute with so many people contesting for the same position grants it only to the very best and that’s exactly what an experience of a good internship does, it makes you count among those best. Internships not only provide an experience of the professional world but also, play a significant role in increasing the quality of the CV. Some, of the companies apart from the common perks of a certificate or a letter of recommendation (LOR) also provide a monthly stipend and learning classes to their interns. One can easily get an internship through online sites such as Internshala or through the Placement Cells of their colleges.

2. Campus Ambassador Programs – Imagine yourself being a representative of a big company or industry in your college, interesting, right? this is what campus ambassador programs are all about. Often, companies to promote their brand among students assign positions of ambassadors to girls and boys in different colleges whose responsibilities include not only brand promotion but also the management of various company-related affairs. It is of great benefit for students who look at their careers in marketing or management departments, also the youngsters apart from getting a certificate of completion also gets various goodies for engaging in the same.

3. Freelancing – Shortage of pocket money is one of the biggest trouble for collegiate but, what If you can earn money for your own? Yes, you read it right with skills such as content writing, graphic designing, video editing, photography and much more one can work for startups as well as for well-established firms, earning enough to fill one’s pockets. There are a number of online platforms such as freelancers.com and others which provide opportunities for people to render their services to the companies in need and in turn get paid.

4. Blogging – Is writing your guilty pleasure? Are vocabulary games your favourite pass time? If yes, then what are you waiting for? Create a blog now and introduce your hidden talent to fame and love. A blog provides a platform to showcase one’s thoughts, opinions and emotions. Apart from acting as a source of creative pleasure, It is also a benefit for the students who plan their careers in the fields of writing or journalism. Also, guess what? Blogging has even got you covered for your financial needs ones your blog gets eminent enough to appeal to a large audience, often companies pay to display their advertisements on your blog.

5. Online Courses – Most of us due to a variety of variable reasons are unable to get an opportunity to transform our passion into our careers, and then with the passage of time and in a race of becoming the next billionaire, have a stable life and create our name In the society we often forget about the very activity, the very talent which we once called our passion. But, not anymore in today’s world with many websites providing various online courses one can continue with their activity of interest and that too at the most comfortable location of their homes. These websites also provide the doer with a certificate of completion.

So, utilise your college life not only in discovering places and cities but also in discovering the distinctive abilities and strengths, to unfold your deepest treasures of talent which is only possible by the effective usage of your spare time. So, gear up to plan your upcoming days not from today but from now.

Feature image credits: Victor Matara

Kriti Gupta

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Arts & Culture

Unpaid Internships: Are They Worth It?

By DU Beat September 3, 2019

With the growing demand for work experience among candidates in the process of finding jobs, students find themselves getting lured towards unpaid internships. Read on for an analysis of the system of unpaid internships and its relevance.

The transition from school to college is a significant one. While school was marked with scoring well to get admitted to the desired course and university, college makes one job-ready. College prepares an individual for the work-culture which awaits them after it. With the jobs being scanty, and candidates in abundance, there is a rapidly increasing race among students to enhance their skills and curriculum vitae (CV) to stand out among the rest of their peers. With ever-increasing competition, students with prior work experience are preferred over the rest of the lot. Thus, students freshly out of college find themselves in a fix. Internships, in scenarios like these, come to their rescue. Several small and big companies hire students as interns on a weekly or monthly basis where they are asked to work either from home or directly in the office.

The past few years have seen students actively seeking internships in their field of study to gain firsthand industry experience, and well, add that extra line in their CVs. Internships come with the promise of certificates, and the much revered letters of recommendation (LOR). Apart from strengthening one’s CV, they also help students in building connections in the industry. While several companies hire paid interns, a host of other companies offer nothing more than a certificate and “experience”. Despite that, unpaid internships see a huge number of applications with students desperately yearning to get in. When you are working as a full-time employee, the company needs you as much as you need it. But the paradigm shifts in the case of interns. Interns find themselves needing the company a lot more than it needs them. Interns can be easily replaced by anyone from among hundreds of others seeking that position, who are willing to work for free. Thus, the demand for a stipend, however meager, in exchange for the value the intern is adding to the company, is always silenced. “Psychology students often pay for an internship at a hospital,” apprised Shivani Dadhwal from Kamala Nehru College, representing the sorry state of students seeking experience through internships.

Are these unpaid internships worth it? The answer cannot be in a binary of yes or no. Internships do not matter as much as where you intern does. Before diving into this world of internships — which is darker than it appears to be —students need to carefully assess the value of the work, and the certificate that they will get after its completion. There is no dearth of dubious companies which treat interns in exploitative ways, offering nothing in return, except for a certificate, which more often than not, holds no value if the company in question is not renowned. On the contrary, companies having a stronghold in the field of your interest can allow you an opportunity to connect with some of the renowned names in the industry, all the while making your CV shine. Working with a reputed firm, even if it is unpaid might prove beneficial while you are seeking jobs, but the quality of the work matters too. Several interns complain about having clerical jobs like photocopying, making coffee, among others. Such experiences, however mighty the workplace may be, will end up adding no value to your targeted skillset.

At the same time, unpaid internships at startups with excellent work-culture, where you are trained within proximity of learned seniors, might end up opening doors of success for you with the amount of experience you can get working there. Lucrative offers of internships need to be carefully scrutinised before students decide to invest their talent, time, and energy into working for a company. It is important to realize that your talent, however raw, holds value in the market. Consequently, it should be invested in with much thought and research. Platforms like Glassdoor and Linkedin might help students in learning from the experiences of other interns, and making a smart choice. Demand for the proper value of their work and strict labor laws for interns should be made to save young students from exploitation in the name of unpaid internships.

Feature Image Credits: Medium

Shreya Agrawal

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Campus Central

Job Placements 2019: Highest Placement Offer of RS. 38 lakhs AT LSR

By Avnika Chhikara June 17, 2019

The placement season in the University of Delhi (DU) is a period of adrenaline rushes and great havoc. After shedding sweat and efforts of three years, the students have passed with flying colours as top recruiters visit the campuses of one of India’s premier universities.

The highest package, this year was provided to a student of B.A. Economics (Hons) from Lady Shri Ram (LSR). The student received an offer of INR 38 Lakh per annum, which is a Rs. 1 lakh per annum increase from last year’s highest package offered, which was INR 37 Lakh per annum. A total of 127 students were placed this season with more than a hundred companies with stellar companies like BCN, EY, ICICI, KPMG, Schoogle among the many, this placement season.

Students from LSR, St. Stephen’s College and Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) are usually the top performers, with respect to packages offered. B.A. Economics (Hons), B.Com. (Hons) and B.A. Statistics (Hons) continue to be the most sought after degrees by companies. Highest offers have increased, and so have the average salaries offered.

A B.A. Economics (Hons) student from St. Stephen’s, Nitish Korada bagged a package of Rs. 31 Lakh per annum, from consultation firm Ernst and Young-Parthenon. St Stephen’s College has seen an increase of INR 12 Lakh per annum, from the highest salary being 19 Lakh per annum last year. At SRCC, a B.Com. (Hons) student has been offered a package of Rs 31 Lakh per annnum from EY-Parthenon. At Hindu College, the highest offer witnessed an increase from Rs 29 lakh last year to INR 31 lakh this year.

While colleges like Hansraj College received packages shooting to Rs 31 Lakh per annum with companies like Macquarie Global Services, Deloitte USI, Deloitte India, ICICI bank, Outgrow, Boston Consulting Group among the many coming for campus placements. The average package rose to 5.5 LPA as compared to 5 LPA in the previous session. An impressive number of 168 students have already been placed out of a total of 220 applicants, with the most popular job profile offered in this placement cycle was of Business and Financial Analyst

Ramjas College saw the highest package worth INR 21 Lakh per annum with companies like TresVista, PWC, Decathlon, Growisto, BCG, Zee Media, Tata Consultancy services, ITC Group, and EY being some of the companies out of the total 32 companies that visited the campus this placement season.

Maitreyi College saw a 100% hike in the highest placement, which is Rs 12 Lakh per annum as compared to INR 6 Lakh per annum in the previous season. They conducted their very first Placement & Internship Fair which saw a participation of almost 600 students in the fair. Over 50 companies provided internship opportunities to the students in a multitude of profiles ranging from digital marketing, content writing, graphic designing, business development, finance, blogging, teaching, volunteering, and research. The stipend ranges from INR 3,000-15,000.

Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College saw highest packages worth INR 6 Lakh per annum with companies like McKinsey, S&P Global, L&T Construction, Red Carpet, Six Red Marbles, Just Dial, Life Easy, Jaro education, Decathlon, EY India among the many, with around 128 students being placed into the 37 companies that came this placement season.

Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College saw highest salaries at INR 9 Lakh per annum with companies like Egon, Byjus, Patent Yogi, Smith and Drucker, Eigo, Paathshaala, etc. recruiting students from all fields of study.

Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, University of Delhi received of 10 LPA and an average package of 4.5 LPA. Companies like PayTM, Dell, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd, Wipro (Computer Science scholar program), Byju (Computer Science Associate), Zycus, Deloitte (Computer Science Associate) and CVent came to the campus.

It is observed the most generous packages have been offered in the consultation field, which attracts many young students aspiring to carve a niche for themselves in the corporate world. Top Companies also look for Extra Curricular activities, Social Work, Analytical and Logical abilities and communication skills, apart from good grades.

Following are some statistics that explain the colleges with the highest placements.

College	Highest Placement [Rs]	Average Placement [Rs]	No. of companies visited that campus this placement season	Number of students that were placed this year
LSR	37.8 Lakh per annum	8.9 Lakh per annum	>100	127
Hansraj	31 Lakh per annum	5.5 Lakh per annum	70	168
Ramjas	21 Lakh per annum	4 Lakh per annum	36	80
SBSC	20 Lakh per annum	4.89 Lakh per annum	20	160
Maitreyi	12 Lakh per annum	4 Lakh per annum	7	62
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa	6 Lakh per annum	3.5 Lakh per annum	45	128
Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa	9 Lakh per annum	4.77 Lakh per annum	48	66

DU Beat congratulates all students for their extraordinary achievements.

Image credits: Debaangshu Sen for DU Beat

Avnika Chhikara

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Antriksha Pathania

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Shreya Agrawal

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Life at Delhi University

Work from Home: An Ideal Internship

By Avnika Chhikara January 21, 2019

‘Work from home’ internships are gaining immense popularity among students these days, with an overall rise
in the trend of interning.

As soon as the semester break hits the block, all of us have two things on our mind – the initial socialising with
friends, and chasing after internships. The trend of interning has increased at a tremendous rate within the past
decade, especially in the Indian jobs’ sector. The rise of the ‘work from home’ internships has taken the market by storm.
What exactly is a ‘work from home’ internship?
A ‘work from home’ internship basically delegates the work and functional knowledge to interns who are not
required to come to the workplace every day. They can, as the term says, ‘sit at home’ and do the work at their
own time, pace, and comfort. This is a popular means of internship opportunity among students. First, because it saves a lot of time and money spent on travelling. While some companies prefer to reimburse the travel costs, it still gets to be a hefty affair. Second, with a ‘work from home’ internship, you have the liberty to decide on the duration of the internship as long as you want. With other internships, time is an important factor as the intern is required to report at the workplace and usually preferred during semester breaks. However, with a ‘work from home’ internship,
students find it easier to manage their college and career ambitions together.
Apeksha Jain, a second-year student of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College comments, “I was in a ‘work from home’ internship in my first year when I interned during the semester. Since I am an outstation kid, I prefer being at home during the breaks. It was a very good experience for me, because I could manage my studies and society work along with the work delegated in the internship. I learnt far better this way.”
A lot of start-ups are considering and giving a boost to this form of an internship. While there are major opportunities in ‘work from home’ for fields like content creation and design, other fields like finance or human resource require the intern at the workplace. There are paid internships for students with excellent skills, giving them an added incentive, since they work and earn from an early age. A lot of the times, interns in an in-office internship are primarily engaged in running the errands: the stereotypical grabbing coffee, getting photocopies done, thereby gaining no real workplace exposure, resulting in a sense of demotivation towards interning among students. However, this scene is changing now.
Nikki Chaudhary, a student of Maitreyi College has been working with an educational company for a long time now. She states, “I enjoy working here. I can work at my own pace, but there are deadlines to be adhered to. It doesn’t cause a hindrance to my college schedule. I have got better with time management. I can sit, relax, and work at my own comfort. What more can I ask for!”

There is a huge demand for interns these days. There are user-friendly platforms, primarily for this exchange.
Platforms like LinkedIn, Internshala, and MonsterIndia, constantly update their websites with internship opportunities. Some companies also use the medium of social media to recruit interns.

Evidently, if you are willing to pursue an internship which ensures you are able to balance work commitments
and academics, ‘work from home’ internships are an ideal choice.

Feature Image Credits: Mamiverse

Avnika Chhikara
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How to Maintain Mental Well Being in the University of Delhi

By Bhavya Banerjee October 4, 2018

“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go, they merely determine where you start”

-Nido Qubein

The constant pressure to succeed can cause turmoil in the heads and hearts of even the best. Stepping into the ‘real world’ after school is a stressful, scary experience, leaving most quaking in their boots. For the most part, individuals are certain of their capabilities till they remain sheltered by parents, teachers, friends, and the comfort of a hometown. The insecurity sets in once all this is taken away, and replaced with a completely foreign environment and alien people. Everybody has their own coping mechanisms to deal with various adversities. For many people social settings or situations, or a change in them, are triggers for anxiety, which in turn may lead to serious mental health concerns. Apart from anxiety, the foreign environment and University culture, may give rise to other stress-induced mental health concerns as well.

What follows are examples of stress-inducing scenarios that many encounters over the three years of college, and how to actively cope with them.

Year one is stressful mainly due to the new environment, foreign people, different methods of teaching, and (for outstation students) the alien city. You may feel overwhelmed by the fast moving busy life of a metropolitan if you’re from a small town. People may not be as kind, and the diversity in people may scare you. The pressure to get into college societies, at the same time, coming to terms with the fact that there are people smarter or more talented than you, can be hard. The best way to maintain some peace of mind in between all this chaos would be to have no expectations. Expectations most often if not always, lead to disappointment. Having a clear head and ‘going with the flow’ can really help in terms of relieving stress-inducing thoughts to ‘be the best’. Understanding that there will always be someone better, and that you have to learn to accept yourself for who you are, are key to staying sane.

Year two is known for one of the most important stressors, namely internships. For most people this is the first time they are interning, inducing anxiety about the work environment, bosses, and mainly, securing an internship. Understanding a work environment and how things are done can take years if not months. Not worrying about ‘fitting in’ or impressing your boss, are solid steps one can take to relieve anxiety. People may even experience disappointment upon not getting substantial work whilst interning. Instead of focusing one’s energy on what is not happening, looking at the job as a learning experience is a step in the right direction.

Year three could easily be deemed as the most stressful of all three years. Important decisions regarding working, studying, or taking a gap year, are inevitable. Watching your peers get their desired jobs/Universities may add to the already mounting pressure. Taking things at one’s own pace and understanding your own capabilities come first and foremost. Instead of comparing yourself to others, focus on what interests you and match that with your aptitude for best results.

College is a rollercoaster ride, with many ups and downs. Going with the twists and turns, and learning from every up and down, will make you more self-aware as a person and help you cope better with the pressures of life.

Feature Image Credits: Hindustan Times

Meher Gill

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Importance of Summer Internships in a College Student’s Life

By Bhavya Banerjee February 10, 2018

An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organisation for a limited period of time. Here is a look into why internships can prove to be one of the most critical tools to succeed in a college student’s life.

When you take admission into universities that are considered to be the best in the country like the University of Delhi, Indian Institute of Technology, Indian Institute of Hotel Management, etc, you are grouped into a classroom full of students with more or less the same or comparable academic calibre as you. It is extremely easy to stand out during school days since most of the focus is given to academics. However, it is a completely different story when it comes to higher educational institutions.

When you enter the realm of the college education, you get a reality check in terms of your capabilities and how sustainable they are when you compare them to your peers. The social scenario completely shifts and you soon realise that only focussing on academics (though, it is an extremely imperative priority) will not cut it. Companies nowadays are looking for and give preference to work experience. Recruiters from big corporations pay more attention to your Curriculum Vitae (CV) instead of your academic transcripts and ask more skill based practical questions instead of syllabus oriented theoretical ones. Even higher educational institutions abroad that offer Master’s courses heavily weigh in your extracurricular activities when it comes to taking students into their universities.

One of the most effective ways to catch the eye of your desired Master’s college and/or your dream company you have wanted to work for is through doing summer internships during your summer vacations while completing your bachelor’s degree. Summer holidays are one of the best times to be productive and positively add to your CV’s, rather than lounging around in your room’s binge-watching TV shows on Netflix.

Summer internships are not only a great addition to the CV, but they allow you to gain hands-on experience and let you get your feet wet in a field you might be considering to pursue after the completion of your academic endeavours. Internships are a proven way to earn valuable knowledge and acquire the feel of working in an actual office, which most certainly cannot be taught in a classroom. Employers in status quo rely heavily on a good resume that displays a relevant work history. Partaking in an internship allows you to establish a series of networks and connections in your desired field of work that might prove to be extremely beneficial for you in the future. Despite these benefits, doing summer internships can and does also lead to personal growth and development in terms of pushing yourself in an official and professional environment, chasing deadlines, and managing your time effectively.

There are many online websites that compile a list of internships based on your interests like Internshala, HelloIntern, Letsintern etc through which you can apply for multiple companies offering long term, short term, and work from home internships. Another way to get hired as an intern is to connect with companies and offices via e-mail by sending your CV and expressing your interests to join their offices as an intern.
A practical work background carries a major significance when attempting to enter the job market or a higher educational institution. It’s all about competition!
Feature Image Credits: Study Abroad & Education Dynamics
Bhavya Banerjee
[email protected]

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Incredible Internships

By DU Beat December 16, 2017

Today, millennials are determined to get their first taste of work-life before they turn 21. At the same time, there are hundreds of startups hungry for raw talent. Internships fit the startup business model well since young companies have an uncertain future and a low paying capacity. This has had a spillover effect, with established brands now competing with startups to attract fresh talent, and stepping up their internship programmes.

In the last four years, the internship market in India has undergone a quiet revolution—fuelled by the internet economy. Gone are the days when an internship was the privilege of those from a few top colleges. Gone are the days when internships had to be facilitated by colleges’ placement cells. And, also, gone are the days when internships meant slogging for free.
Even though the demand for internships far outstrips the supply, here is a list of a few companies that are offering winter internships for undergraduates starting from December/January, in the Delhi-NCR region.
For your convenience, attached to the list is also the email IDs/application portal links to the companies. But mind you, employers generally complain that new hires don’t know how to draft professional emails. So before you apply, ask someone in your family to advise you on email etiquette or follow the advice given on several online blogs. You could also use some of the customised cover letter services available on the internet.
Philips

With a legacy of over 126 years, Philips employs around 105,000 people across over 60 countries in the world. At Philips, you gain exposure to technology and business both, which coupled with your passion and ambition gives rise to an enriching internship experience.

As an intern in Philips India, you might get a chance to work in on the three R&D centers of the company: Philips Research Institutes in New Delhi, Noida, and Gurugram. You will get chance to work on real projects and enjoy some amazing perks and benefits including a good stipend amount. Mail your CVs to [email protected]
SAP

SAP makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. With customer base across 180 countries, SAP has offices in more than 130 countries worldwide.
Interns get access free food & fully stocked micro-kitchen with free cookies and popular drinks, free gym membership, phone and data reimbursements. Internship at SAP India is generally for a duration of 2 months. You can apply for an internship through company’s official page as well as through reference.
You can spend as many months interning with SAP as you want if you are able to show real growth and learning. From coding internship to internship on Big Data, IoT, marketing and many more, there is no dearth of choices regarding the kind of internship you want to do.

Rather than just enquiring about the internship through an email or through phone call, you can visit the office itself since it is so close to the University Campus: 89, FF, Main Road Kingsway Camp, Delhi, 110009

Internship helpline number: 097116 68396

JUNIPER

Juniper is a company which develops and markets networking products. Its products include routers, switches, network management software, and network security products.
Unlike other companies where internship starts during summer, an internship at Juniper begins in January every year and has a duration of 6 months. The company is very particular about the skill set they look for in an intern and hence they encourage you to apply for an internship only through their official website. The perks at Juniper are surely great with highly interacting social events to tons of options for the game and fully loaded snack room.

Juniper India internship helpline number: 011 3092 2900
BRITTANIA

The Indian food-product corporation has its head office in Bengaluru. It is the leading food company in India with Rs 8500 crores in revenue. Britannia Dairy is one of the largest divisions of the food corporation and it accounts for 10% of the company’s total revenue.

Apply for an internship with the ‘Biscuit King’ with their summer internship program. Every year during December, Brittania rolls out hundreds of internship position in different steps. Applicants have to fill out an online form and they get graded on their general cognitive ability and roll-related knowledge. Whats more? Britannia also gives a ‘Best Summer Project’ award where the best intern will be given a sizeable cash award. Contact number of the HR associate in charge of internships is
011 3078 8000
Zomato

Zomato is India’s first restaurant search and directory service that currently operates in 23 countries. It serves The Web and mobile users by providing information, menus, and ratings related to various restaurants, taking away the hassle of dining out, ordering food or food takeaways.
Starting from the first week of January up to mid-Jan, Zomato is offering internship opportunities in the disciplines such as data collection, sales, support and software development. Whereas they provide excellent exposure to the interns by helping them contribute to the products that are serving the community, they find the right talent and assess them on the parameters required for the job before offering them an internship opportunity. In addition to working on the technology products, interns are paid a good stipend and given the opportunity to learn from the best in the industry.
Internship helpline: 91 8375 073452

Ernst & Young

EY finds it place on the 100 best companies to work for. Their internships-mostly provided only in the field on consulting rather than the technical aspects of work-are usually for 4 months to 6 months for students, although a number of part-time and short duration of internships are also available.
The internship assignments make you work on the real projects and give you the opportunity to share the stage with the experts from the industry. In addition to experiencing a world-class work culture at EY, you also get an opportunity to qualify for the EY International intern Leadership conference, held at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, USA.

apply athttps://webforms.ey.com/Content/DContactus_New?Openform&EmailId=IN%20Webmaster&Indx=&site=IN_en_ContactUs&URL=http://www.ey.com/in/en/careers/students

Tata Steel

A part of the Tata Group, Tata Steel is a legendary name in the history of Indian industry. Tata Steel runs an internship program called, Parikshan, where they put you on assignments that revolve around patents and innovations in the field of material sciences.
From 2-weeks internships to full-time intern, there are many different types of an internship opportunity at Tata Steel.
In an environment where ethics and culture plays an important role in the everyday lives of employees, the interns learn the nuances of the trade from the veterans of the company. In addition to a great stipend, interns get access to all the amenities available to the full-time employees at a minimal cost.

You can find out more about the internships on offer at the http://www.tatasteel.com/careers/
or you can also call the internship helpline number: 011 2334 2636.
Siemens

As a great first step into the world of professionalism, you learn to apply your knowledge to the day-to-day work at Siemens. Having a legacy of nearly three centuries, Siemens operates in a variety of industry domains, including Industry, Energy, Healthcare and Infrastructure & Cities. The company is a prominent maker of medical diagnostics equipment and provides healthcare products to almost every country in the world, with their cutting-edge technology and a sound understanding of the trade. Putting your skills into action on real projects directly gives you a competitive edge over the industry peers. Siemens is currently offering winter internships for the Gurugram office.

Siemems internship helpline: 1800 209 1800

VMware

A subsidiary of Dell Technologies, the prime business of VMware is in cloud computing and platform visualization software and services.
Just like its diverse range of product base, different kinds of internship opportunities are also available with VMware. Since the bar of standards is quite high at VMware, this option is restricted to those with interning experience in at least two organisations. In the internship, you get an opportunity to work on real-projects under the supervision of higher authorities. You are accessed not only for your technical skills but for your analytical thinking and ability to take initiatives, excelling in which will land you a full-time position with this business giant.
Choose your internship field area at https://careers.vmware.com

Very few students who apply for internships ever follow-up with the employer on the status of their application. As a result, they naturally have an edge over the 98% who don’t. Following-up indicates sincerity and a genuine desire to do the internship. You can send the first follow-up email four or five days after your first email, and another email about a week after the first follow-up. If you still don’t get a reply, keep calm and carry on—with another application elsewhere.

Feature Image credits: biz_intern
Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak
[email protected]

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