JobBridge has many advantages to both intern and potential employer. The intern gains valuable experience, assuming the role has the potential to do so and the company gains a resource with fresh talent and perspective.
Over the past couple of years I have seen quite a number of CV’s from the ’20 to 30′ age bracket with work experience from two or more internships referenced. The concern I have is the disconnect between the roles described, i.e. no similarity in industry, job type, skills required, etc. Obviously, needs must and gaining experience in something is better than experience in nothing.
Prior to the internship initiative, I would have queried a candidate’s CV which suggested they moved from job to job with no overall plan or reason for doing so. These days I try to advise candidates to put career plans in place, regardless of the perceived lack of opportunities. A career plan gives structure and direction and hopefully minimizes the risk of reaching a point 5 years down the line where too many bridges have been crossed and no form of continuity exists with respect to transferable skills, experienced gained, etc.
The answer to ‘Tell me a little bit about your experience to date ‘ in an interview can potentially look like pieces of a jigsaw which fit together snugly to form a professional picture of you or it can have so many vital parts missing that it becomes very difficult to impress a prospective employer.