Want job? First build internship profile

Hyderabad: With bulk recruiters and service-based firms increasingly giving campus placements a miss, the ‘hire and train' model is fast fading away. Instead, companies are now turning to candidates who can deliver from Day 1 — those with real-world exposure through internships, research, or live projects.InternshipsPredictably, many experts suggest that students up their internship game. Especially since product-based companies, startups, and smaller firms — driving the hiring scene — are offering work based on students' performance during these gigs."About 95% internships get converted into PPOs (pre-placement offers)," said Kishore Kanakapalli, training and placement Officer (TPO) at Vasavi College of Engineering, adding how the rest miss out due to gaps in attitude or irregularity during internships as they try to juggle too many things. His recommendation: To keep an eye on career pages of top firms, LinkedIn, and platforms like Unstop, LeetCode, and HackerRank to track internship opportunities. "It's ideal for students to complete two internships before they finish their course. Doing more can sometimes backfire since candidates must also be able to confidently answer questions about their work or projects during subsequent job interviews," he added.Even Chetan Srivastava, chairman at the University of Hyderabad's placement guidance and advisory bureau, said that the varsity is encouraging students to complete two internships. It also has tied up with platforms like Internshala and Tech Japan to create more such opportunities. "At the master's level, we've even tweaked our course structure to allow students an entire semester for internships," he said.In fact, TPOs feel that students must be open to internships or jobs at startups and smaller companies, regardless of the package.Add skills, be adaptableExperts also advise students to strengthen their basics and focus on communication, problem-solving, and technical skills to enhance their employability quotient. "With many regular recruiters staying away from campuses, we are now seeing more roles that are sales-oriented, along with openings from edtech firms and even international schools. These employers value communication skills and adaptability. Students with strong work ethics, passion, and a willingness to stay longer with a firm will have an advantage," said Srivastava from UoH.Projects, industrial visits The other route: industrial visits, expert interactions, and on-campus training programmes to gain valuable exposure. Students who found work through this said that the hands-on projects gave them an edge, along with learning emerging technologies such as agentic AI. "We went to the National Mineral Development Corporation for an industrial tour. From there, I got to do a project on an autonomous rocket landing system using AI/ML. That helped me in cracking an internship, which later converted into a PPO, as the entire interview revolved around this project," said Gowtham Reddy B, a final-year AI/ML engineering student. He secured a job with a package of ₹32 LPA.During his two-month internship, Gowtham was paid ₹1 lakh as allowance and ₹90,000 as stipend. "During my internship, however, I had to do an online course to be on par with others," he said, adding that maintaining a coding profile, staying in touch with seniors, and engaging in meaningful projects can help students secure jobs even in the current market.WHAT EXPERTS & STUDENTS SAYInternships have become a prerequisite for jobs these days. We're not asking companies to hire our students but to offer internships so they can prove their talent. This is the same approach followed at NALSAR, where students do internships during every semester break to gain practical knowledge — V Balakista Reddy, chairman, Telangana Council of Higher Education. The council has signed MoUs with various industry bodies and partnered with NASSCOM and the Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association of India to provide internship opportunities to students.Right now, we're in a tricky situation as AI is taking over many jobs. So, more than a student's GPA or technical skills, I look for whether they're quick learners, can upskill, and are flexible enough to take on any role. I do this by giving hypothetical problems in interviews rather than testing their in-depth technical knowledge. — Shyam Sandeep, CEO, Vahan Bazar. The bootstrapped startup currently has seven interns. I participated in hackathons and did a project using Full Stack Web Development and Machine Learning. I created a fashion website using OpenAI, which helped me secure an internship and a PPO. Having a strong coding profile also paid off — I could easily solve three problems (two based on JavaScript and one on Data Structures and Algorithms) and clear the written test for the internship. — Preetham Reddy L, final-year CSE student, placed with ₹42.6 LPAWhere to Look for Internships?Websites and PlatformsInternshalaTech JapanT-HubTata Campus PlacementAccenture Internship ProgramAgnirva AI Internship ProgramNavGurukulUnder 25 AppEY TechathonOther SourcesCareer pages of top companiesLinkedIn posts, updatesPlatforms like LeetCode and HackerRank