Graduate internship years 'can lead to jobs'

Graduates may be able to kill two birds with one stone by organising an international internship year – boosting their career prospects and gaining valuable life experience.

While some young people are eager to find a permanent job before they graduate, others are happy to build their skills and experience through work experience in a foreign country.

This may amount to voluntary work, depending upon their employer and destination of choice, or it may be paid, helping them to earn valuable gap year money.

PD Jose, chairperson of the Career Development Services at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, told IANS that many companies are willing to take on interns at present.

He suggested that induction rates are particularly high among management consultancy and financial services firms – which may be of interest to graduates seeking business careers.

Mr Jose pointed out that many of those young people taken on as interns in 2010-11 were actually offered full-time, permanent jobs at the end of their placement.

So while young people may get to live and work in a foreign country – enjoying an altogether different cultural experience – it is possible that a job may come directly out of it.

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