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Ask any PGDM/MBA student or, for that matter, any top business school in India about the importance of a ‘Summer Internship Program’ as a stepping stone to a great job & career in Management – and, you are sure to elicit a strong response in favour of this stand-out pedagogic feature of most of the top MBA/PGDM colleges in India.

What exactly are the reasons that make these ‘Summer Training Programs (SIP)’ so popular and eagerly sought-after?

Before we get into this analysis, let us first understand what exactly is the meaning of ‘Summer Internship’.

The opportunity to work closely with professionals in your field, and to develop knowledge, competencies, and experience related directly to your career goals can be broadly defined as ‘Summer Internships’. It is definitely important today because, if managed correctly, internships will lead to new contacts, mentors, and references. Coupled with recommendations in hand from business relationships developed during a summer internship, securing a job becomes all the more easier for a management aspirant.

Even internationally, the value of summer internship is widely recognized. To quote Catherine Ahlgren, Assistant Dean for Career Services, Boston University School of Management, “Summer internships are essential for MBA candidates changing careers or with less work experience than their peers. The competition is greater now that many candidates have more years of relevant experience; the more prepared a candidate is, the better their chances of success.”

Getting back to the reasons that make these ‘Summer Training Programs (SIP)’ so popular and eagerly sought-after, it can be said that internships are critical for success because they can maximize your chances of finding the right job for yourself in many ways. Some of the ways in which it can help you secure a job you want can be briefly enumerated as below:

Helps You Discover The Real Corporate World

Working as an intern gives you a hands-on professional experience that helps you discover the real corporate world.

Makes You Create Your Own Professional Network

By interning, you begin to create your own professional network by way of gaining opportunities to develop professional connections that could be beneficial to your career in the long run.

Enhances Your Resume Value

As an add-on benefit, a good internship will prevent your resume from ending up in the trash heap. And, a summer internship or a longer one will show a prospective employer that you mean business.

Earns You Academic Credit

Your internship experience counts not only toward your professional goals, but also takes you closer to your academic ones, too. This is because many colleges and universities offer credit for internship experiences as well.

A Golden Opportunity To Test-Drive Your Career Plan

Summer internships are like “no-strings-attached” sort of opportunities. Because they are not your full-time jobs, and just in case you don’t like it, you can always reorient your career options and try something new.

Thus, in the final analysis, ‘Summer Internship Program’ does turn out to be a stepping stone to a great job & career in Management.