Students who have completed an internship as part of their university degree can make better career decisions and are happier with their career choices, as shown by research from the UK and Australia. The longer the internship lasts, the more employable the students seem to feel.
The study interviewed 136 economics students from the University of the West of England and 344 from Edith Cowan University in Western Australia to clarify how competent they felt when managing their careers and what aspects of their internship they all had better prepared for this area. Some of the surveyed students did an internship while studying business administration, others did not.
In the UK, an internship for business students usually includes a paid year in the industry. This is part of the long-standing "sandwich-degree" model where students study for two years at university, one year in industry and then return to university for their final year of study.
At the Western Australian University, the work experience of 100 to 150 hours in the industry, completed in a thirteen-week academic semester, was shorter. The economics students specialize in a variety of areas including accounting, finance, marketing, human resources and hospitality.
British students who have worked in the industry for a long time have found that they are more likely to find work and are better positioned than students doing shorter internships. Employees who are more employable can better handle job insecurity and are more vulnerable to better job performance. The longer the internship, the better.
Students who completed an internship were better at making effective career decisions than students who had not completed an internship. The study found that students had identified their personal priorities and how this affects their career choices. By learning about the reality of a profession, they learned if it was consistent with their personal values, and sometimes the internship clearly told them which career path they should not take.
Also due to the internship, the students received feedback from other professionals about which skills are needed and where they need to improve. The hiring process for the internship, usually a resumption of screening and a job interview, also helped them understand what employers are looking for.
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Why do students need career management skills?
Students need different skills to cope with unstable economic conditions in the labor market. An increasing number of graduates will not get jobs in the short term, and we also see more underemployment, with graduates holding less skilled jobs.
In times of intense global competition for jobs, it is crucial for every business to attract and retain dedicated, content and productive graduates. Employers demand that new graduates with strong skills in engineering, communication and teamwork be "rounded up". They also seek life experience through sports and community activities.
However, all of this can be meaningless if they do not know which jobs exist, what their own strengths and weaknesses are, or if they have not built professional contacts to help them get their foot in the door.
Better career management skills mean that students are more likely to find a job, but benefits will not stop. At the end of the "job for life" era, graduates will use these skills to stay employed by changing jobs, securing fixed-term contracts and even looking for jobs overseas.
If students can better plan their careers, the cost to employers may also be reduced due to high staff turnover and lower productivity and well-being when graduates' recruits are poorly matched to available jobs.
A follow-up study of Australian business students found that students who completed an internship were more satisfied with their career choice. This is important because dissatisfaction with choosing a career can lead to lower grades, dissatisfaction, and low engagement at work.
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