In the modern-day competitive job market, a mere degree is no longer enough to ensure a suitable employment opportunity. Fresh graduates are required to give their resume that additional competitive edge that will help them become the chosen one from amongst hundreds of other applicants.
Thus, emerges the concept of professional internships. It is essentially a contemporary derivative of the traditional concept of apprenticeships. Where a worker would transfer the skills of the trade to a young follower.
An internship is a unique on-hands learning experience for students. Where they step out of the world of textbook learning and have an opportunity to master the various skills of their trade. As an intern, you get to witness the various intricacies of the professional world. So, prepare yourself for the journey ahead.
Many studies have stated that individuals who complete one or more internships are more likely to get themselves a desirable professional opportunity. And also claim higher salaries than their contemporaries.
Irrespective of your learning area, internships can help you achieve your professional goals. Let us now explore the benefits a professional internship may have for a mechanical engineer graduate in Australia.
Ways to Gain real-world experience
An internship is one of the best alternatives available to an aspiring professional seeking to gain a real-life experience in their particular field of work. For instance, as a mechanical engineering intern, you will be able to work alongside experienced engineers and witness real-time business processes and acquire practical troubleshooting skills.
Another key benefit of the real-world experience that constitutes an internship is that it gives inexperienced students a clear understanding of their career trajectory. An internship will allow a mechanical engineering graduate to assess and determine if they would like to become technical experts or enter the managerial field after attaining an additional degree in management.
Thus, an internship gives an idea of the various career growth opportunities available to a student. In many internships, interns get the opportunity to assist in research labs. If you can get into one of those organisations you have the opportunity to witness discovery.
This experience will not only benefit your future professional pursuits but also enhance your college learning experience. Research skills you can pick up while working in a corporate research experience will surely benefit any student research activity that you might have to undertake as a part of your graduate training
How to Build a professional network
One of the key aspects of professional success is the presence of a robust social network. The professional network helps an individual explore and avail of unique career opportunities. From finding full-time employment in the same organisation to exploring new and more lucrative job opportunities, a professional network will help students move ahead in their careers.
A sound and reliable professional network can also help you receive necessary recommendations and references which would further strengthen your resume and make you a valued hire for your new employers. For a mechanical engineering student, receiving a strong recommendatory letter will enhance your chances of finding a suitable placement in the future.
Here, one must note that in Australia, there are many internship opportunities available for a mechanical engineering graduate with varying suitability in the professional world. Companies like Saab and Aurecon are some of the best internship opportunities in Australia and a recommendation letter from these organisations will help you in your career growth pursuits.
Add that extra edge to your theoretical skills
Working in a full-scale professional setting requires much more than technical and theoretical knowledge. For ensuring your career growth, you must learn how to efficiently handle and manoeuvre through the various aspects of a workplace environment.
It includes developing a strong and favourable relationship with your peers and colleagues and displaying your commitment toward due fulfilment of your professional roles and responsibilities. Thus, an internship is your best shot at witnessing the intricacies of workplace culture and preparing yourself for your future pursuits.
As a mechanical engineer, you may believe that your job role will include designing and developing machines and equipment. However, it is a small part of the diverse employment roles that mechanical engineers must assume in the contemporary world.
Thus, if you do not want to spend your entire career confined in the limits of a workshop and achieve suitable career growth and development opportunities, you must demonstrate that you are as good with people as you are with your machines.
For developing these essential people skills, a mechanical engineering internship is the best possible opportunity. These skills will also give you the necessary competitive advantage against the hundreds of applicants you would have to face in your professional journey.
How to Understand Understand yourself better
In your graduate degree, you will have several subjects and will be trained in numerous different areas and you may also have your favourite. However, unless you witness how each of these skills and specialities manifests in a real-life scenario, you will not be able to understand which career role best suits your taste and preferences.
An internship is the most efficient way of trying out various career opportunities. This will help in determining which professional role suits you best. During a mechanical engineering internship, you get the opportunity to witness those intricate theories of thermodynamics in the application.
This will not only help you understand the concepts better but also help you determine if working in an intricately technical field is what you desire. If, however, you observe that the workshop may not be the best option for you, the internship allows you to pick out a suitable alternative professional field.
It gives you an in-depth understanding of your inherent strengths and weaknesses. This will allows you to focus on that which you are best at. This will go a long way in directing your career growth trajectory. This will maximise the chances of attaining professional satisfaction from your job.
Strengthen your resume and enhance your employability
In the contemporary professional world, employers are becoming increasingly focused on the applicant’s resume and their prior professional experiences. An internship contributes significantly to this pursuit. Internships often require interns to undertake various projects and professional duties which. When added to your resume, will significantly enhance your overall employability.
Securing yourself a position in one of the best internship jobs will add the X-factor to your resume. Helping you earn remarkable recognition in your desired area of employment. Internships provide an objective understanding of your career goals. This will allow you to better describe your career objectives while going for a permanent position.
These professional experiences will go a long way in helping you find that perfect opportunity. It will not only allow you to acquire. Hone and develop the essential technical skills but also provide you with the necessary exposure, mentorship and guidance.
In Australia, many corporate houses provide mechanical engineering internship opportunities. This may be especially suitable to serve your career growth needs. Thus, locating the best internship opportunity may act as a key step in your career growth journey. This will help you achieve your dream job.
Convert your internship into a permanent employment opportunity
If you do well on your internship. Find that the people there are who you would like to work with in the future. You might seek to convert your internship into a permanent employment opportunity. Many organisations often implement internships as a recruitment process. This allows the hiring managers to objectively assess your suitability for the designated professional role.
Your internship experience can also serve as the preliminary stages of employment training. In the organisation where the human resources personnel can closely observe and analyse your competence and suitability for the organisation. During your mechanical engineering internship, you will get an opportunity to demonstrate and enhance your technical expertise.
It will allow you to convince your seniors about your capabilities which cannot be duly reflected in your marks alone. Thus, your internship experience and performance might help you make a mark on the recruiters. To find your way to the high-paying jobs within the same organisation. Where your contemporaries might be left scuffling for the beginner positions. It will also place you in an advantageous position concerning your career growth pursuits.
Conclusion
Thus, to conclude our discussion, professional internships are the way to go. In the modern-day professional world, if you wish to carve out a niche for yourself. Finding yourself the best internship opportunity, preferably before the completion of your graduate degree, is crucial.
There are many companies in Australia that provide internship opportunities for fresh mechanical engineering graduates. And might serve as the adequate push you need for ascertaining your desired career growth. In your journey from being an aspiring professional to becoming a valued hire. An internship will serve as one of the most significant companions.
