Interning the way to a job

If you are a college graduate and want to work without doing a further education post-graduation you might want to look at working as a temp or as an intern.

There is no stigma these days in working as a temp. Temping in fact, is becoming more and more common with large recruiting firms opening temping divisions and large international temping firms coming down to India.

Internships are done during college vacations and I foresee a lot more employers start interning processes to get to great talent sooner rather than compete with them as they graduate.

In this context it would be interesting to read what has happened in the last decade in the US

Today, few employers with such formalized college recruiting programs hire only the graduates. They now almost all hire students for internship opportunities and then hope to convert 75, 80, or even a higher percentage into permanent, full-time, entry level employees.

So if you are a fresh graduate or still completing your graduation temping or interning is the best way to find out if that great career you so desire is right for you.

If your college has tie-ups with certain employers for internships then you can apply through them. Focus on what is relevant to your line of study and the industry you might be interested to carve a career in.

If your college does not have such tie-ups, take the initiative and start such link-ups with industry. Talk to the campus recruitment incharge of the firms you are looking at and invite them to your college. Involve your professors if your college does not have a separate position for placement officers. In fact, your professors could help you out with contacts of the college alumni in the industry.

Focusing on the financial services industry like insurance and banking, along with retail and telecom, all of which are exploding - and a huge fight for talent is ensuing - would be a great idea to start with.