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Looking for a 2019 internship? Well, we’ve got you Covered.
Internships are a great way to establish yourself in the working world but getting one isn’t always as easy. It’s almost as stressful as trying to secure a job-if not more but fret not for this article will shed some light regarding some of the secret places that contain information regarding available internships within South Africa.
It’s not just graduates who are interested in internships, but more and more high school learners are becoming interested in what an internship offers individuals. You may be wondering what exactly is an internship and why you should consider it? The short version: It is a temporary programme that is offered by organisations to student individuals, which allows the individual to work for the organisation to gain work experience and enhance skills, sometimes without a salary. Check out a longer and detailed version.
The Value of Internships
Internships are one of the best methods to gaining experience, which will make securing a job after graduating university much easier as companies a) don’t have to spend resources in training new recruits and b) are more inclined to hire graduates with practical work experience and knowledge. It is key to use the internship to the fullest, be proactive in your internship role, ask questions, take initiative – all of this will contribute to qualities you will possess as an employee.
Like everything else, there are two sides to this coin. These are some of the pros and cons of choosing internships as an option:[/vc_column_text][vc_cta h2=”SUGGESTED” h2_font_container=”font_size:12|line_height:2″ h2_use_theme_fonts=”yes” h4=”Internships: Welcome to the Working World” h4_font_container=”font_size:20|color:%23f1626e|line_height:2″ h4_google_fonts=”font_family:ABeeZee%3Aregular%2Citalic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” add_button=”right” btn_title=”READ MORE” btn_style=”outline-custom” btn_outline_custom_color=”#ae4768″ btn_outline_custom_hover_background=”#323b4b” btn_outline_custom_hover_text=”#ffffff” btn_align=”center” btn_i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-chevron-right” use_custom_fonts_h2=”true” use_custom_fonts_h4=”true” btn_add_icon=”true” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Ffundiconnect.co.za%2Finernships-welcome-to-the-working-world%2F||target:%20_blank|” css=”.vc_custom_1553514294579{border-top-width: 2px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;border-left-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;border-left-color: #ae4768 !important;border-right-color: #ae4768 !important;border-top-color: #ae4768 !important;border-bottom-color: #ae4768 !important;border-radius: 5px !important;}”]Internships are one of the most valuable ways to shape your studying and career decisions, establish yourself within an industry and gain work experience. Find out how to apply for an internship and how to make the most of it.[/vc_cta][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
2019 Internships Types of Internships
There are currently five different types of internships available:
- Paid Internships
- Partially Paid Internships
- Unpaid Internships
- Virtual Internships
- Research Internships
Paid internships usually cater for graduates due to the qualifications that are usually required. They aim to provide the individual with an opportunity to gain practical experience in their respective field while earning a salary. Some organisations offer attractive salaries while others only offer the bare minimum. Depending on the industry and qualification, the salary can be a bit more attractive. In some cases, employers seek to hire the interns at the end of the programme.
Partially paid internships are also known as stipends, the salary offered is not a lot but is better than not getting anything at all.
Unpaid internships are the most offered programmes, they do not compensate individuals. These are more suited for high school learners, as at this stage the student is trying to gain knowledge to better understand and decide on a career. Graduates can also go for this option, but most don’t complete the programme due to the lack of finances – which for most students is an issue.
Virtual internships are a very new concept to the South African workforce and there aren’t many of these available. These programmes allow the participant to work from a remote location and require self-discipline as it doesn’t provide a typical work environment. One of the major advantages is that students can work and study at the same time. There is room for flexibility and all work communications and presentations are done online. This type of internship is common for social media, content writing, and graphic design career fields.
Research internships require students to conduct research for an organisation, examining a topic and produce results in a written report and/or presentation. This type of internship is common for graduates within the scientific fields.
There is also the option of job shadowing, which some see as a form of interning, other people debate against it being included but we can all agree that it provides a similar opportunity as an internship does. Job shadowing does not compensate at all and is ideal for both high school learners and varsity graduates.
2019 Internships: for Graduates
So, you are a graduate and maybe looking for a 2019 Internship and aren’t sure how to go about it.
For graduates, it is a great way to discover opportunities for employment and get valuable work experience at the same time. Internships are a great option, especially if your bursary doesn’t offer you the opportunity to get experience. Optimise your school vacations by making them a period for gaining experience – more and more companies are catering for students to work during holidays. It is also key to do your research well enough to know what is available to you, websites such Career24 can provide useful knowledge on how to better your opportunities. There is another amazing website that offers internship assistance, Trusted Interns. They work to provide graduates with as many options as possible.
Available Opportunities
South Africa offers some of the best programmes for internships, more and more candidates from other countries are taking part in the internships the country has to offer.
The fields of science, technology and engineering offer a range of internship programmes. Some of the engineering internships available are for:
- Sustainable Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Robotic and Aeronautical
- Landscape Design and Architecture
- Biotech
Other fields such as Medical, Travel and Tourism and Finance are amongst some of the abundant opportunities that offer internships. Most 2019 internships offer financial compensation-which is a great plus!
Just to give you an idea, this is the average salary offered to intern candidates in various fields.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”58912″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]
2019 Internships: for Learners
For high school learners who are about to put their high school years behind them, internships are a great way of identifying and confirming career passions and interests. It gives you the opportunity to explore what goes into specific career paths, to confirm whether the desired path is still one you would like to commit to.
Available Opportunities
There are too many internship options available to list for students, every field has something to offer, the best place to begin to identify your interests and then start searching the career search websites, one of the best places for you scout for available opportunities is Puff and Pass, it offers a vast variety of internships for different fields.
So, where can you go to find 2019 Internships?
Firstly, it is imperative to know what you need. Meaning what do you want to get out of the internship, once you have identified this then you can begin looking for the internship that will meet all your needs. Networking, career fairs, online searches and searching the classified ads are some of the many ways that balance careers suggest you employ to go about finding an internship.
Online platforms available for you to seek the right opportunity include:
- Career24
- Internships SA
- Student Room
- Careers Portal
- Indeed
FundiConnect 2Cents
There are many internships for every sector, some might have fewer options of internships to apply for than others but there are still options available for you.
So, now that you know more about the types of internships that are available and how to look for them, the only thing that is left is to go and find the perfect fit for you – GOOD LUCK![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
