Saltire Scholars Programme’s Post

Can you please treat your interns with some respect? 😕 Too many times, I've seen interns being used as cheap labour. In my opinion, this is wrong. Internships can be the bootloader of someone's career. It was for me. Short story: 🙃 Before getting into marketing, I studied to be a sports teacher. One requirement for getting a diploma was doing multiple internships. Because it wasn't an academic degree, companies weren't obliged to pay a small fee. (In the Netherlands, it is common to pay academic students a €300-€600 fee) This forced me to seek value in the internship itself. Getting free tutoring and mentorship was worth everything to me. Sadly, I found out that this was rarely the case... 😓 Some of the jobs I had to do as an intern before my Academic degree started: - Cleaning someone's house or car. - Getting groceries - Making sandwiches for the owners' kids. It has nothing to do with teaching sports. But it doesn't have to be that way! 😎 When embarking on my academic marketing journey, I was overjoyed when I landed an internship at one of the country's biggest webshops. But I was even more ecstatic about getting treated like a colleague and a starting professional. - Doing educative work - Giving presentations - Having a voice in meetings Thank you, Wouter van der Meij and Kevin van Leeuwen, for kickstarting my career! ❤️ And for everyone considering taking on an intern, please realise that you have a duty to help them grow within their careers. 😌 #marketing

**Quick Update** One of Joe's tasks is to increase the followers on our business page, so if you'd like to see Joe achieve his objectives please give us a follow ;-) The HR Practice Joe Murray Ann McKenzie Great to have Joe Murray working with us. Joe is a credit to Saltire Scholars and we're so lucky to have him. Read Joe's blog below to hear how he's getting on

I understand this might be controversial, but I believe the internship schemes in #Budget 24 have significant shortcomings. Can 500 companies effectively manage 20,000 interns each year? Are students prepared for real-world internships? Is the financial allocation sufficient and sustainable? What about the remaining 3-crore students? What is the plan for them? How will the quality of internships be ensured? Should there be a pre-internship preparation phase? After analyzing the internship initiative in Budget 2024, I believe we're overlooking a crucial step a bridge between college education and professional internships. This is where INVENT comes in - a virtual internship program designed to prepare #students for real-world experiences. INVENT offers several key advantages: 1. The online format allows participation from anywhere, eliminating travel costs. 2. Students can explore various business functions, including marketing, finance, and technology. 3. It provides a safe space for skill development before entering a #corporate setting. 4. Participants develop both technical competencies and essential soft skills. The benefits of this approach are significant: • Companies receive better-prepared interns. • Students enter internships with increased confidence and practical knowledge. • #Government resources are utilized more efficiently. I'm interested in your thoughts on this: • For those with internship experience, how could better preparation have enhanced your performance? • Students, what would make you feel more ready for a corporate internship? • Employers, what skills do you find most lacking in entry-level interns? Let's discuss this in the comments. Your insights could help refine this initiative and make it more effective for everyone involved. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) #budget2024 #internships #mun #aiesec

As much as this is the season for mangoes and summer vacation, it’s also a time for youngsters to look for internship projects. When I was in college we were entrusted with this idea of finding internship projects based on our aspirations. The college necessarily did not get involved in this process. In hindsight I think that it was the best thing for the college to stay out of this. I now see some students who reach out for 48 hours of internship and I wonder what's happening. 7 things to focus on while you (students) apply for internships: 1) Identify which domain or organisation you would like to intern with 2) Research about the organisation in detail 3) Send an email with your CV specifically mentioning the duration - start & end date 4) Mention if you are looking for full-time or part-time internships 5) If you are applying for research internship back it up with what you've written in the past 6) In case you want to do comms/social media/website - check the organisation's digital presence 7) Specifically mention things that the organisation does that are of interest to you  8) Sign off with your signature - email & phone [one you check regularly] From the student point of view (PoV): 1) Here’s a time to figure out what work opportunities look like 2) What does it take to work with others & meet deadlines 3) Few always use this time to figure out what to pursue (higher studies) 4) Many opt for paid internships to earn some pocket money 4) Whether a student likes it or not, in few cases one has to do it as per academic mandate How can organisations smartly plan for internships? 1) Have small projects that can be independently delivered by the interns. Low risk & not too stiff on time 2) Guide youngsters & encourage them to stay curious 3) Once an intern is familiar with the culture & expectation are set, they will continue staying engaged 4) Avoid loading interns with grunt work 5) Have a simple form to get weekly updates on - goals for the week, what was expected & achieved, any difficulties faced and learning outcomes I've come across students who are invested and interested in the internship projects and eventually end up joining the organsation at a later date :) Internships pave the way for identifying and hiring young talent! #internship #hiringtalent #staycurious #learning

𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨, 𝐈’𝐦 𝟏𝟕, 𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚t HiPP-Gruppe 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧, 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚—𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝, 𝐈’𝐝 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤, 𝐛𝐮𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐦 𝐤𝐢𝐭 𝐈’𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. I got this internship just after finishing my first year at university (yep, I started university at 16 after completing high school externally 😅 ). For me, it wasn’t just a mandatory step, it was a privilege to dive into real professional life as a foreign girl, all alone in a different country. Not only did this internship give me invaluable professional experience, but it also shaped me personally. I was far from home, away from family and friends, and faced plenty of challenges. Was it hard? Absolutely. There was a language barrier—at the time, I spoke only English and very little German. But this experience taught me to take responsibility and be accountable. My colleagues treated me like an adult, sharing their knowledge with patience, support and warmth. On weekends, they invited me hiking, to family gatherings, and more. Later, when I became a mentor and leader for my own intern, I wanted to pass on that same warmth and provide real projects. I wanted my interns to truly understand the field, get hands-on experience, and figure out whether this was the right path for them. Interns always bring something valuable to the table—new perspectives, fresh ideas, and a generational check on your own opinions. But it’s up to you as a mentor to show them how things really work, and to be ready to invest your time in the next generation. What I’ve learned from that experience is simple: ⭐︎ remember how you were treated ⭐︎ treat interns like adults ⭐︎ give them real tasks ⭐︎ let them experience the field ⭐︎ share your knowledge ⭐︎ be honest with them ⭐︎ show them the reality of the job #internship #internshipexperience

When I see another unpaid internship advertised on LinkedIn this is what I think… 👉 What about the young people who can’t afford to work for free 👉 What about the young people who are already working part-time jobs trying to make ends meet 👉 What about the young people who are trying to financially support family members 👉 What about the young people who would apply but would end up in debt just travelling to and from your office If you are benefitting from the work of a young person, you should be paying them. It’s that simple. #internship #career #students #graduate

🙌 I’m thrilled to share that five talented interns have joined our team this spring. I love the diversity they bring to our company — and our clients — and I’m a bit in awe that we’re attracting students with very attractive skill sets from some of the country’s best colleges and universities. I'm truly excited to welcome them. Already, here is some of the work that they have done: 📝 Written explainer blogs in areas like Instagram carousel and Link.bios. Example: https://lnkd.in/gQvWMJNY 🎥 Developed videos that pair with these explainer stories. Example: https://lnkd.in/gvT8keiY 🎨 Built social media graphics promoting different services and news. Example: https://lnkd.in/gJw3rr5F 🏡 Created education and real estate content for a new digital-only lifestyle site. 📃 Developing flyers to promote our services like our SEO program. At the heart of our internship program is a commitment to providing a great learning experience. Our mission is to ensure each intern not only gains valuable experience but leaves equipped with the practical skills that businesses actively seek today. 🎓💼 #Internship #LearningTogether #BusinessSuccess #TeamCollaboration #ExcitingOpportunities #InnovationJourney

Let's look at the differences between paid and unpaid internships and the things to consider while considering internship offers. https://bit.ly/3IgkSi6 #internshipadvice #internshiptips #careerguidance #careeradvice #jobsearchtips #students #collegestudents #loanforeducation #loanforstudents #studentloan #educationloan

Most of Bates’ 1,800 students are far from campus in the summer. But for the team at the Bates Center for Purposeful Work including Beverly Vari and Hoi Ning Ngai, a big group of students are still close to heart and mind. Vari, associate director for employer engagement and internships, oversees the center’s Internship Program, which is now supporting more than 120 students around the world, from finance and consulting in Boston to microorganism research at Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology. All the internships are paid, through Bates or employers. "Their energy and enthusiasm make every busy summer moment worthwhile,” Vari says. “Watching interns grow through their experiential journeys is incredibly fulfilling, making the effort all the more rewarding. Nationally known, Purposeful Work takes a developmental approach to how students find deeply satisfying careers. To that end, the center supports students in discovering their values, interests, strengths, and, ultimately, passions — alongside providing skill development, mentorship, and exploration. Over the summer, the interns have regular group check-ins with Vari and others, conversations that help them process and reflect on their experiences, a critical developmental step in discovering purposeful work. The team is also providing networking and experiential training to students as they prepare for major networking events in Boston, New York, and Portland, Maine. Vari’s colleague Hoi Ning Ngai is director of employer engagement and business advising. From her perspective, she’s noticed that in fields like finance and consulting, firms are moving up their recruitment deadlines “considerably, so companies start to recruit students as early as the first and second year. “This means that summer becomes an even more important time to research future internship and job opportunities in various industries, organizations, and companies. “Begin as early as possible,” she advises. “Searching for internships and jobs is really a part-time job, and for students, it’s easier to do that during the summer." (Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College) #PurposefulWork #summerinternships #collegetocareer

#CampusDiariesbyVT The illusion of #Internship Internships are magical learning opportunities. Can have transformational impact on a budding professional but only if happens in a certain way. The best impact out of internship comes from curated programs having uniform approach towards participating interns and has necessary check points to evaluate effectiveness of the process. Needless to say an effective internship program benefits both, the intern to get the tacit knowledge and to employer to try a promising candidate who can be a potential full time recruit. However, the current landscape of Internship looks quite hyperactive and amusing though not necessarily beneficial. Following are the issues which are adversely impacting the internship landscape. 1. Only to make a mention in CV- More than 50% internship seekers are looking for just a letter only. Bigger brand or fancier project title is an additional benefit . Needless to say this damages the most. This decreases the value or internship in general, in entire echo system. 2. internships without a proper structure or low involvement of the mentor- An internship without a mentor is like a movie without a hero/ protagonist. We find a lot of memes or caricature on social media about internships because of ineffective or uninvolved mentors only. 3. The imbalance from Academia- Summer internships started as an essential part of curriculum where the educational institute had the onus to liaison and place students for meaningful industrial or #corporate exposure mainly for a short duration often not exceeding 2 months. But these days we see focus only on corporate exposure and not much on industrial exposure. To my major disappointment I see a lot of institutes pushing students for very long duration of internships eg. 4 to 6 months. In my view that is grossly incorrect. A student must spend adequate time in #campus learning what he may not have a chance to study during a full fledged corporate stint after college. Also institutes take fee but corporates pay stipends during internship. Thats a double whammy. Most importantly one student’s exposure and learning opportunity can be completely different than the other batchmates during internship therefore long internships are practically not helping anyone other than institutes only to save cost on account of not catering students for that extended duration. Finally, I am a big supporter of Internships and pragmatic learning But not at the cost of lesser classroom learnings. “Nobody wants to hire an MBA who isn’t better than just a street-smart intern.”