AN internship should be a professional learning experience that must offer meaningful and practical work related to a student’s field of study or career interest. However, in Pakistan, it is nothing like what it should be.

For instance, being a post-graduate student, I required an internship exp- erience for completing my degree as per the requirement of my university and the Higher Education Commission (HEC). I faced numerous daunting challenges in getting an internship, for a large number of graduates as well as post-graduates are often looking at the same time for such opportunities. Very few organisations in the country provide paid internships due to poor economic conditions and financial constraints.

I finally landed into a semi-government organisation for my internship. However, the opportunity was not what it was supposed to be. Unfortunately, it was a complete disappointment. I thought I would get a chance to learn and implement my academic knowledge, but that was exactly an opposite case.

Ironically, I was rather given the task of completing the leftover work and the piles of things that should have been done timely. Basically, I was assigned the job to streamline office files.

It is no secret that exploiting the interns discourages them, and negatively impacts the mental health of the students. This also does not prepare the students for the work that they are likely to be doing in their professional life.

Are the internships not meant to offer students an opportunity to practically prepare for their professional lives?

Name withheld on request
Tando Allahyar

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2024