Voluntary Internship

Gathered with some old friends recently and talked about options after graduation.

As one who did another round of internship after graduation, I suggested the same option to one of my friend who is facing the same dilemma just like me five to six months ago.

The feedback I got was "waste of time" and "waste of effort earning nothing". Pretty disappointing to hear that.

Yes, earning too little to cover your expenses is an issue, but is enduring that for a few months a really big issue considering that you have depended on your parents' income for living over the past 20+ years? Malaysians must be grateful that we are not experiencing critical rate of unemployment like some countries in Europe, where some graduands don't even stand a chance for internships, needless to say for a permanent job.

Here are some of the reasons why I think a second intern is a good option after graduation before you actually land a permanent job:

• Job trial without the need of commitment. Unlike a permanent job, you can try for a short period and decide whether to stay or leave after that. After all, you are not committed to any employment contract and will not feel a sense of guilt for leaving when the internship ends should you find out that it is really not the kind of job you want. And if the job suites you, you can quickly decide to stay as a permanent, provided that you are the kind of employee your employer wants.
• To develop and discover your passion towards job without the influence of money. Sometimes money becomes a overwhelming factor when deciding whether to stay or leave your job. By joining an internship which usually gives little pay, you can see through your interest clearer with minimal distortions by money. As far as I concern, joining a career that gives you more sense of fulfillment and satisfaction is far more important than joining a career that gives you more money.
• Learning how to survive with minimum budget. This is a lesson not everyone has the chance to learn and yet is one of the very important financial lessons one should learn in his/her life.
• To make a better resume for yourself so that you can gain more job interviews. Every experience counts, so if you can hardly gain any interviews now, getting and completing a 3-month intern will certainly help to gain more interviews in near future.

Of course, you are free to make your own option. But as one who did an internship after graduation, I still feel that that was one of the best decision I have made in my life.