Is doing an internship mandatory? Would you be paid as a first year intern? Get all your questions answered - from your pay to your documents.

1. Know It All - 101 Questions
About Internships
All Rights Reserved by Switch Idea

2. Is doing an internship mandatory? Would you
be paid as a first year intern?
Internships form the crux of our graduation and career. But we all have certain
questions that remain unanswered regarding internships. So here’s your go-to
guide for internship related questions - from your pay to your documents, we
have it all covered in this 101 Q&A about internships.
Q.1 What is an internship?
A. An internship is work training for a temporary period of time at an
organisation.
Q.2 Who is an intern?
A. Anybody who works on a temporary tenure with the organisation is an intern.
Q.3 What do interns do?
They work for the organisation, as per the role or project given to them.
Q.4 Can you be an intern?
A. An intern needs to have the essential skills required for the successful
completion of the project assigned. If you have the requisite skills, go ahead.
Q.5 Do interns get paid?
A. Yes they do. Unpaid internships are an exploitation of an intern's effort and
time that they invest in an internship.

3. Q.6 What is a summer internship?
A. An internship you do in the summers, May-July is termed a summer
internship. It is usually pursued after completing your even semester exams.
Q.7 What is a winter internship?
A. Winter internships are pursued in November-January, when the
temperature drops and the odd semester exams end.
Q.8 What is an internship project?
A. An internship project is the one you work on during your internship tenure.
Q.9 How to nd an internship?
A. Use SwitchIdea if you are looking for veri ed internships as per your
custom availability, location and domain. Else, you can browse online, contact HR
managers of companies or seek your friends/neighbours/relative's help.
Q.10 As a rst year UG student, can you get an internship?
A. An internship is meant for students enrolled in a university programme,
having relevant skills for the position. If you have the skills, you can get an
internship, irrespective of the year of studies.
Q.11 What are the minimum grade requirements to apply for internships?
A. Irrespective of your academic performance, internships can be applied for as
long as you have the requisite skills. For example, Candidate A has a strong CGPA
but no knowledge of WordPress. Candidate B has an average CGPA, and knows
the go-to-essentials about blogging and Wordpress. In this case, Candidate B will
be preferred by an employer over Candidate A.

4. Q.12 What are some common skills required for internships?
A.The skills required vary from role to role. For example, you may be required to
know HTML/CSS for a web development internship, while SEO knowledge and
language pro ciency can help you with a blogging internship.
Q.13 Where to acquire these skills from?
A. While you may learn some at your college, due to syllabus and time
constraints you may have to look for other options. Otherwise, you can look for
nearby meet ups in your city (recommended), or you can try online courses at
Alison, Coursera etc, among various MOOCs from MIT and Harvard.
Q.14 Where to look for internships online?
A. You can consult with your Training & Placement department about getting an
internship in your course, or network with your college alumni to search one.
Additionally, there are a number of online portals for helping you get an
internship. Use SwitchIdea if you are looking for veri ed internships as per your
custom availability, location and domain. Or you can create an account on other
free portals and look for internships.
Q.15 What do you call the person you intern for?
A. Employer. As an intern, you work for the employer who offers you the role in
the organisation.
Q.16 Do you have to pay for your internship?
A. No! The employer pays you for the work, you do not (and shouldn't).
Q.17 Do interns who are still pursuing their degree get paid?
A. Yes. Interns are mostly college students, and they get paid for the work they
do.
Q.18 What is meant by internship details?
A. Internship details brief about the duration, dates of application, stipend,
location of work and the position offered. (See example below)

5. Q.19 Where does an intern go to work at?
A. As an intern, you get to work from the of ce of the organisation
(recommended). While 'work from home internships' allow you to stay home and
work on internship project virtually.
Q.20 How long is an internship?
A. The duration of an internship is usually 4-8 weeks. The duration is
usually mentioned in the internship’s details.
Q.21 Is an internship a job?
A. No, an internship is not a job. An internship is an opportunity offered by an
employer to potential employees, called interns, to work at a rm for a xed,
limited period of time. Interns are usually undergraduates or students. As an
intern you are offered this position to work for the organisation for a short period
of time, while job is a full time commitment.
Q.22 When can one apply for an internship?
A. Internship applications are rolled out usually in the months of September-
January for winter internships, and in April-July for summer internships.
However, many internships can be applied to during other times of the year too,
depending on the availability of the student.
Q.23 Why should you be an intern?
A. In July 2017, Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar stated that it is
mandatory for students in technical courses to be involved in at least 3
internships during their course also otherwise an internship helps you in getting
the necessary exposure from the industry.

6. Q.24 Do you need permission from your college for doing an internship?
A. Yes, you need permission in the form of a No Objection Certi cate (NOC) from
the college, signed by the HOD or training and placement head.
Q.25 Which documents do you need to submit before an internship?
A.The NOC from college, along with your CV needs to be submitted. Additionally,
you may be asked to submit a letter of recommendation and statement of
purpose.
Q.26 What is a CV?
A. Curriculum vitae (CV) is a brief account of your grades, skills, courses, work
experience etc. over the years.
Q.27 Should I add my phone number to the CV?
A. Yes you should. The employer can contact you for the internship on the
contact details provided. So make sure the you mention your correct phone
number and email address.
Q.28 Should there be a summary about myself?
A. Yes, preferably. When adding a summary about yourself in the CV, brie y
mention about your grades, courses, skills, work experience etc.
Q.29 Should the career objective be related to the position applied for?
A. Yes, write the career objective which is identi able with the position you are
applying for.
Q.30 Do your class 10 grades need to be speci ed?
A. Mention your class 10 grades, year of passing and the board in CV.
Q.31 How about the class 12/diploma grades?
A. Yes, you should mention class 12 grades, year of passing and the board.
Q.32 I have done some courses. Should I add them?
A. De nitely! If you have certi cates which can be veri ed, they add value to your
CV, so yes, add them.

7. Q.33 Should I mention the grades obtained in them?
A.Yes, write the grades and the year you pursued the courses in.
Q.34 Do I need to add the work experience as well?
A. If you have prior work experience, write about that. Do mention the dates
along with it.
Q.35 I have done voluntary work. Should I add that?
A. Yes, voluntary work should be added to the CV as well. For example, if you
were a part of the core team which organised successful cultural event in your
campus, you should add this as an experience in your CV.
Q.36 Should I add descriptions about each role?
A. Adding a short description about the role you previously worked for should be
written.
Q.37 I am a part of a club/society. Need I write that too?
A. Yes, mention the clubs and societies you are associated with in your CV.
Q.38 Are references mandatory to be added?
A. References provide the employer with people who can testify your conduct,
thus enabling a background check. Add references to your CV at the end, and
mention their contact details correctly.
Q.39 Should I contact the referees beforehand?
A. It is suggested that you contact the referees prior to adding their contact
details in your CV.
Q.40 Should I vary the font size and the font in the CV?
A. No, refrain from doing so. Stick to a readable font and font size in your CV.

8. Q.41 Dates! What order should I arrange all the dates in?
A. Reverse chronological order is suggested for arranging the dates in.
Q.42 Is a cover letter important?
A. A cover letter consists of your skills, your interest in the position and why you
should be hired. It forms your rst impression on the employer, and gives you the
much needed edge.
Q.43 What is a LOR?
A. A Letter of Recommendation acts in favour of your candidature for the
position, and can be signed by the Principal or HOD.
Q.44 What is a SOP?
A. A Statement of Purpose is a written account by you, mentioning about why
you want to pursue the internship with the organisation or role offered to you.
Q.45 Will there be an interview?
A. Yes, there can be an interview for the position you apply. It is to gauge you
better and helps employer to know you better.

9. Q.46 In case of an interview, how should I introduce myself?
A. A very common interview question, start with an interesting note and talk
about you. Mention your work experience, achievements, extracurricular
activities etc. in no longer than 2 minutes.
Q.47 How do I know more about the organisation?
A. Research the company’s website, social media pages and mentions in the
news to know the organisation better.
Q.48 How can I add value to the role offered to me?
A. The employer is looking for skills and as a suitable candidate, you should
utilise them to the fullest for the successful completion of the project.
Q.49 Strengths and weaknesses have me confused. Help!
A. The skills you excel at, like problem solving, leadership, prioritising form your
strengths. Whereas, weaknesses are the areas you lack but are working on
improving them, your programming skills for instance.
Q.50 Should I give examples for my skills?
A. Yes. Show, not tell them. Give relevant examples where you portrayed those
skills and avoid only listing them.

10. Q.51 Why would the employer hire you when there are many others?
A. Research about the company and the needs of the employer, and answer
accordingly. Focus on your skills and experience. Give your best during
the interview, be optimistic and don't worry about the decision.
Q.52 How do you know your strongest points?
A. Your strongest point are known to the people have or are working with. Your
friends, family, teachers and former employers can help you with this.
Q.53 How about your questions about the organisation?
A. Feel free to ask questions to the employer about the role you are applying for,
about the organisation, etc.
Q.54 How many internships can you do during graduation?
A. A minimum of 3 internships are mandatory for students in technical courses
to pursue during the course of their graduation. You can do as many internships
as you like, and can nd time for during your graduation.
Q.55 Is it necessary for an intern to be dressed formally?
A. Informal dress code is allowed for interns in certain organisations. They can
turn up in casual, work appropriate clothes.
Q.56 What are the work timings for an intern?
A. Usual work timings can be between 10am-6pm. However, you should adhere to
the company’s policies on timings, and inform your senior about any delays.

11. Q.57 Is there a special code of conduct for interns?
A. No, interns are expected to follow company’s policies on conduct, being well-
versed with basic professional ethics.
Q.58 How I get the most out of my internship?
A. Work on the project whole-heartedly and put your best foot forward. Follow
the company policies and inform your senior of the progress from time-to-time.
Having a ‘can do’ and learning attitude shall take you a long way.
Q.59 Who should you inform in case of a delay in project?
A. Your senior is your go-to person for such queries, and it is suggested to keep
her/him informed of the progress milestones of the project.
Q.60 Which documents would I get after completion of internship?
A. An internship certi cate, experience letter and program outcomes report
would be given to you at the end of your internship. If you don't get a Program
Outcomes, you may miss your chance to earn college credits for your internship.
Q.61 What is a program outcomes report?
A. De ned by National Board of Accreditation, Program Outcomes (POs) is a
report/document given by HRs, who assess and grade the intern's work after
completion of internship, sign it, handing over a copy to the intern.
Q.62 Can I get a job in the same organisation?
A. Yes, if you perform exceptionally well and depending on the available
vacancies, you may be offered a pre-placement offer (PPO) by the company.

12. Q.63 How will an internship help me in getting a job?
A. An internship enriches your knowledge and skill set on the practical aspects
of the industry. It is thus an added advantage in getting a job.
Q.64 How can I prepare for the internship?
A. Start reading industry-related blogs/publications. Reach out to your
supervisor with thoughtful questions (whose answers are not already online) and
ask if they can suggest any preliminary reading that will help you hit the ground
running.
Q.65 What skills should I have gained by the end of the internship?
A.This will vary greatly by eld so we suggest asking your mentors about the
kinds of skills you should be developing.
Q.66 What should I be doing for the rst few weeks at my internship?
A. EXPLORE; BECOME PART OF THE TEAM; OBSERVE AND ADAPT.
Q.67 What can I expect from my employer?
A. A Speci c Role/Responsibilities, Supervision, Feedback, Exposure, Insight and
talking points for your next job interview.
Q.68 What does my employer expect of me?
A. A Professional Conduct, Proactive Engagement, Preparation and in
some cases an exit interview.
Q.69 What if my internship does not meet my expectations?
A. Sometimes an internship will not meet your expectations despite all of
your effort and preparations, as you might arrive during a low work season, a
time of transition, or your boss’s sudden leave or absence. It happens. However,
these disappointing experiences are essential to your growth and an opportunity
to create value despite huge challenges.
Q.70 What are the bene ts of an internship?
A.In addition to potential wages earned, student work and internship experience
is valuable for exploring elds of employment which you may wish to enter after
graduation. Experience helps developing new skills and strengthens existing
skills. Work experience helps you establish professional contacts in a potential
eld of interest. You will be able to demonstrate work setting accomplishments
in your resume.

13. Q.71 How can I get a job or internship if I have no experience?
A.Employers value skills developed through academic work, volunteer
experiences, extracurricular experiences, or other experiences which
demonstrate skills useful in work. Not all of these skills are job type
speci c; some of these skills are general such as communication skills and
analytical skills, and can transfer to different settings.
Q.72 When should I start looking for a summer position?
A. Begin searching in the preceding fall semester in order to take full advantage
of all the resources and listings available to you. Some deadlines are very early!
Beginning early allows you to more evenly balance the time required to conduct a
successful summer job search with other demands on your time.
Q.73 When should I look for a winter internship?
A. As with summer positions, winter internships can be applied for during the
preceding semester to get the best of the postings available. Hurry for the
deadlines!
Q.74 How many hours can I work as a student?
A. If possible, wait to commit to a job until you have a feeling for how much time
you have beyond coursework, extracurricular activities, and some time for
yourself.
Q.75 What kind of assignments would be assigned during the internship?
A. The type of work you do at the internship is de ned by the domain you are
interning in. You may be blogging, working on embedded systems, web
development or marketing. The nature of work and responsibilities are
mentioned in the internship posting.
Q.76 I am having troubles dealing with the work load. Who should I contact?
A. Your senior shall help you here. Work load may overwhelm at you times, and
the experienced workers shall help you deal with it.

14. Q.77 What internships exist for science students?
A. If you are pursuing degree course in computers/IT, you can try web
development, mobile app development. For streams such as chemistry, physics
and mathematics, chemical production, statistics & design thinking are some
suggested internships.
Q.78 What internships exist for engineering students?
A. For computer and IT related elds, mobile apps and web development are
popular. Also, DB management and UI/UX designing can be tried. For streams
such as electronics and electrical, circuit designing, robotics are common
choices. Mechanical and civil departments have CAD design and 3D modelling
popular.
Q.79 What internships exist for humanities students?
A. Policy research, content development, video editing, journalism, digital
marketing, nance are popular choices among humanities students.
Q.80 Would I be asked to do a free assignment before starting the internship?
A. No. As all internship postings on Switch Idea are veri ed, you are not expected
to submit a free assignment before beginning the internship.
Q.81 If my application gets rejected by the employer, would I get employer
feedback for that?
A. Yes. If your application gets rejected, you would be provided with proper
feedback from the employer.
Q.82 Would I get training for the project from the employer?
A. Relevant skill set is required for completion of the project. However, as and
when required, the employer shall provide you with necessary training for the
project.
Q.83 Would I get a separate travel allowance for the travel during the internship?
A. If it is not mentioned explicitly in Bene ts and Perks (see below), you would
not receive travel allowance. You would get a stipend though, and it shall cover
your travel expenses.

15. Q.84 How about food? Do I need carry my own lunch to the of ce?
A. This varied from organization to organization. Some organizations offer lunch
to the interns, others do not.
Q.85 Do I need to follow the company’s policies and procedures?
A. Yes you do. As an intern, you are expected to be aware of basic professional
ethics and follow them too. Also, the organization may have a set of policies
which are meant to be followed by you.
Q.86 I am stuck at the internship assignment. Who should I contact for help?
A. Your seniors would be the supreme help with this. However small the issue,
contact your senior workers for help.
Q.87 Can I take up an internship abroad?
A. Yes, you can pursue an internship abroad. Ensure that you make
arrangements for visa, accommodation, travel and other facilities beforehand.
Q.88 Are the internships included as experience on my resume ?
A. Yes, internships provide related experience and attract employers too.
Internship in career related stream provides the much needed experience and
increase your chances of getting a job.

16. Q.89 What is the number of available internship slots?
A. The available internship positions are mentioned in the internship listing.
Q.90 Can I take more than one internship at a time?
A. If you can manage both, and do justice to both the internships, you can enroll
for 2 internships. It is suggested to assess the time constraints and the work load
management for both the internships before you proceed.
Q.91 Can I intern in a different city or state?
A. Yes you can intern at a different state. It is suggested to make necessary
arrangements like accommodation, food and other amenities beforehand.
Q.92 How would I be paid the internship stipend?
A. The manner in which you are the paid the internship stipend can be the form
of a cheque, or amount being transferred to your account.
Q.93 How does Switch Idea help you with getting internships?
A. Switch Idea is an internship platform connecting students with veri ed
employers. You can create an account on the website and get internship
assistance, apply to unlimited internships and get rewarded when you get hired.
Q.94 Are all internships on Switch Idea paid?
A. Yes, all the internships featured on Switch Idea are veri ed and paid. You
would be paid a stipend from 5k-25k INR from the organisation.
Q.95 Why do I have to pay subscription fee when I sign up?
A. To enrol only genuine students and rule out fake IDs, we have put up a
subscription fee of ₹499 and ₹699 for one and two year modules, respectively.

17. Q.96 What services do I get when I register on Switch Idea?
A. You get access to these services:
a) Veri ed internship projects
b) Dedicated internship helpline
c) Industry-academia assistance
d) Application tracking
e) HR reports
f) Fixed delivery assets
g) Guaranteed Stipend (5k-15k)
h) Program Outcomes
Q.97 What are the two modules for?
A. You can opt for one year (₹499) and two year (₹699) subscription modules on
Switch Idea. In both the plans, you get all the premium services, the difference
being the time for which they are provided. In one year module, you can apply to
unlimited internships for 365 days, while it increases to 730 days in the two year
module.
Q.98 How does Switch Idea tackle fake employers?
A. To curb the fake companies, each employer on Switch Idea goes through a
series of veri cation checks. This includes their contact and of ce address being
veri ed, in addition to their LinkedIn history, Glassdoor reviews and VoIP
con rmation.
Q.99 Can I nd all necessary documents in one place?
A. Yes, to ease things up, we have an all-in-one documents folder on the portal,
from where you can access all the necessary documents’ formats, and their
relevance.
Q.100 How do I contact Switch Idea for help?
A. Our team works round the clock to provide you internship assistance. Feel free
to drop a mail at support@switchidea.com or call at +919555141142 for any help
with the portal, or internships, we’re happy to help.
Q.101 Am I rewarded for getting hired from Switch Idea?
A. Yes, on being hired from our portal, you can ping us. A surprise awaits all
interns hired from Switch Idea.

18. Good luck, happy interning to you! :)
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