Interns are in the news these days. One feels sorry for them. The grey hairs have won: the inevitable result of pitting someone with a lot of contacts against another starting off on a career. Interns, as Hillary Clinton would agree, need protection.

In the corporate world, however, internship is no longer a one-night stand. Students join companies they think highly of for summer training. It gives an opportunity for both sides to get to know each other. If all goes well, it could translate into a permanent job.

The best management schools have always had structured placement programmes for their first-year students. (Most MBA courses in India are of two years duration.) It takes place alongside or slightly before the general placement. It can be lucrative; years ago, when fees were lower, some IIM students made enough money during internship to pay for the next year.

That doesn’t hold true for second order schools and companies. The remuneration is low. For example, Niffler (“a company started with the aim of making real life experiences such as shopping and eating out more fun and interactive”) is paying Rs 5,000 per month for a “sales ninja”. Indyacabs is looking for a web developer at Rs 3,000 a month.

Don’t sneer at these numbers. If you are good, you will find that you are entitled to several allowances that are decided on an ad hoc basis. Besides, internship is not about making money. It is about gaining experience and, more importantly, getting a permanent job one year down the line.

The business of internship can be gauged by the number of start-ups that are flourishing in this segment. The Hyderabad-based HelloIntern was incubated in 2006 at IIT Bombay by four students. In 2012, it was acquired by the Angaros Group, a Singapore-based boutique investment holding company. The Pune-based Letsintern started in a bedroom in 2010. (“We are a bunch of 20 somethings from some of the best colleges in the country with a simple vision: ‘Every college student should graduate with a college degree and some professional experience’.”) The Chennai-based Twenty19 started as a business consultancy. It made its passage to internship as a result of interactions with all the interns it employed.

“Real growth comes from real experience. Internships at your doorstep,” says the Delhi-based Makeintern. The Gurgaon-based Internshala believes that “internships, if managed well, can make a positive difference to the student, to the employer, and to society at large. Hence, the ad hoc culture surrounding internships in India should change. Internshala aims to be the driver of this change.”

Is there really an ad hoc culture? If truth be told, yes. But it is changing. Companies have begun looking at interns as potential employees. And interns see the company they are training with as a possible employer. Interns are no longer chosen by ticking names off a list. There are interviews, group discussions and all the paraphernalia that goes with a regular job application.

What must interns do to induce the company to make an offer? There are some tried-and-tested methods. Perhaps it is more instructive to look at what interns should not do. Business Insider India has a list of “The 19 Worst Mistakes Interns Make”. Here are some:

• Getting frustrated or complaining about being bored

• Dismissing the small tasks

• Asking questions without first trying to figure out the answers on their own

• Arriving late

• Forgetting names

• Dressing inappropriately

There is another problem which will probably be around for just a few years. Interns are necessarily young. They have grown up immersed in social media. In many companies, they quickly become the in-house social media expert. This gives them access to the CEO and other top executives. It could lead to a swollen head. But you must remember that becoming too big for your boots is the best way to get the boot.

EMPLOYED AT HALFTIME

What interns should do to get permanent job offers

1.Check whether the company has a history of hiring interns.
2.Inquire about full-time employment during your interview.
3.Show initiative and a positive attitude.
4.Volunteer to take on more responsibility.
5.Network with your co-workers.
6.Be indispensible.

Source: Gianna Sen-Gupta on Nerdscholar