MBA Summer Internship in COVID Times - Approaches to tackle this Challenge: Special Column by Dr SR Singhvi

Industry Summer Internship is a key pedagogical tool in MBA education. A good Internship helps students to put Academic Learning into Practice. Recruiters take Summer Projects very seriously – and offer Pre-Placement Offers (PPO) to those who perform. But the spread of devastating Coronavirus, and the Lockdown, has disrupted Summer Internship too. So how can MBA Students cope with this big challenge? Celebrated Marketing Educator Dr SR Singhvi, former Faculty at leading B-schools like MDI Gurgaon and IIM Indore, offers some approaches, themes and topics with which students can do productive Summer Internship even in work-from-home mode.

Special Column

MBA Summer Internship in COVID times - Approaches to tackle this Challenge

By Dr SR Singhvi, celebrated Marketing Educator, Former Faculty at MDI Gurgaon, IIM Indore, IMI New Delhi, IMT Ghaziabad & Fore; Director, AIM, New Delhi: Faculty, Jaipuria Institute of Management  

Summer Internship with Industry is a common practice among Indian MBA Colleges. It is an 8-10 weeks of Industry assignment as an essential condition of requirement for the fulfilment of MBA/PGDM degree prescribed by AICTE. It does not include longer than 10-week Summer Training offered in a few colleges nor does it cover NGO, Social Responsibility or Rural Internships.

OUTCOMES

Summer internship with MBA colleges recently has resulted into the following things:

• Internship has enabled the Interns to get Pre-placement offers/ Pre-placement interviews by the Firms. In good B-schools, this proportion has gone up to 40% of Total Students passing the batch as against zero or small percent in lower ranked Colleges. For employers, it is the most authentic tool to judge the Competence of the Students as Future Employee.
• Internship has enabled the Student to really attempt a Problem-Solving Experience in Organizations and later on witnessing the implementation of the recommendation and understanding what means success. Of course, later part is gradually diminishing.
• Internship enables Students to pitch their work in the Final Placement and convince the Recruiters about their potential. Students in lower ranked colleges do not find themselves in this position many times due to quality of projects done by them.
• Internship is an essential requirement for the fulfilment of Degree/Diploma as per AICTE. Except top ranked Colleges it is the predominant outcome. It can be to the extent that the Student never visits any Firm, and everything is only on paper without any field experience. Both the Stakeholders are helpless and take it as granted.

COVID AND INTERNSHIP

Most of Summer Internship Placement were offered prior to announcement of Lockdown in India. Internship generally starts from April in India except a few MBA Colleges. Given the seriousness of COVID, large number of Organizations had already decided to postpone the joining of Internship to avoid risk of adding additional Employees and Social Responsibility arising out of COVID. With Lockdown, 90% of the assignment simply can’t be carried out.

AICTE recognizes that “Internships helps in creating conditions conducive to the quest for knowledge and its applicability in work.” Responding to the situation, AICTE has come out with an Advisory that “Institutes should instruct their students, NOT to take up any Internships outside the Organizations which involves travel, contact with outsiders, etc., However, ongoing Internships, where Companies are allowing Students to work from home, shall continue.” It has been further suggested that “all Colleges/ institutes should give challenging problems as Internship to such Students which can be worked upon by them from their respective homes.” However, the uncertainty continues with “Once the situation improves, AICTE will issue further orders regarding compliance of Mandatory internships policy of AICTE.”

SCENARIO NOW

Organizations have cancelled Summer Internship of MBA Students of even top Colleges. Generally speaking, the college systems are unable to gear up to find another Internship. Students are at risk not to get PPO/PPIs. Students are fanatically searching for Internship through Contacts and Social Media. Students are ready to do even unpaid Internships. Other organizations are not sure and are betting that things will be normal and they should be able to start in May. Some of the Firms are willing to convert or continue with the Internship Online with Online Projects. Some of the Firms are asking Colleges to postpone Internship during last term with a possibility to get finally absorbed on good performance. Since the placement starts from V or VI terms, colleges are not sure whether students will accept this proposition.

Since the Placement Process in several colleges came to an abrupt stop, large number of students of lower ranked colleges have been left without any internship. In these Colleges, a significant number of students use their own source to complete Summer Internship which may come out to be Study of an Industry or a Firm. In uncertain times, even this is becoming difficult particularly due to Lockdown.

CAN STUDENTS HELP THEMSELVES?

Higher ranked Colleges do equip students to be able to do independent Problem-solving Assignments during first year. Apart from the previous education and background of the students, the rigor and the syllabi of the course ensure this. But large number of colleges fail to do so. Therefore, most of the Summer Internships can be called as employing Contract Staff to carry out additional tasks that are pending and need temporary hands. These colleges think that this helps them to claim that their students had sufficient Industry Exposure and Experience and therefore fit for Placement for lower positions in Organizations. Large number of these Internships are unpaid or lowly paid.

Without summer assignment higher ranked colleges may still survive in Final Placement given past performance of its Alums and also strong Alumni Network at senior level. But without industry experience of any kind, students of lower rung Colleges stand in disadvantageous position.

ACT

Those who got a specific project from the Firm can construct a similar Project that can be done online with sufficient data or sample size. Industry Mentor may accept the proposal. This can be submitted to firms.

Those who got a simple confirmation of Summer Internship with a firm can construct a meaningful project of Firm’s concern both at macro level and specific issue bothering the Firm. The issue can be searched online. Leads can come out of study of press coverage and online contacting the right persons. The project can be done with the help of secondary data and online surveys. Make sure that the project is in an area wherein you are looking for immediate employment after the degree. The project can be pitched to firms when things get normal to get short live Projects later from the Firms. This may also provide gains in competitions arranged by the Firms for talent search.

Those who got Internship to be contract staff must shift this experience to Field Projects in second year of courses. Impress upon the Faculty to make provision in Pedagogy that involves heavy field work. Make sure that you do good work to be able to showcase it in your Final Placement. May be in depth study of a micro topic of a discipline, wherein Placement after the degree is sought, can help.

Those who got nothing in hand need to pick up a burning micro level problem of an Industry where they think the possibility of immediate Placement will be there. Framing this problem clearly and then constructing a project involving data and its interpretation can get you out of disadvantageous position in Final Placement.

Some possible themes and topics that can be covered through secondary sources and online Surveys are listed below.

Themes and Topics that can be covered through secondary sources and on-line surveys

Strategic Management/ Industry Analysis 

• Problems and Opportunities for X industry during next three years
• Study of CSR responses to Covid
• Impact of recent government stimuluses on economy or a specific industry
• Self-reliant economy and its benefits

Marketing Management

• Increasing the online presence through Social Media
• An assessment of Brand Communication efforts of leading firms in a product/service category
• An assessment of Shopper Engagement by a firm during last two to three years
• A study to design an Innovative Content for Enhanced User Interactions for a firm
• An assessment of Website of a firm and partner or customer engagement
• A study of advertising campaigns- both off and online during Covid by a firm and its impact
• A survey of customer satisfaction among a community (target) for a firm
• A survey of retailer satisfaction for a firm
• A survey of distributor satisfaction for a firm
• Issues in last-mile delivery in COVID and lessons

Operations Management

• Impact of new-age technologies
• Impact of Covid on Supply Chain Management
• Significance of manufacturing capability and future trends

Financial Management

• Impact on liquidity of firms due to COVID
• Recent bank merger and their copying mechanism during COVID
• Recent bank failures and limitations of regulatory authorities
• Stock Market crash and possibilities of revival

Human Resource (HR) Management

• A study of employee engagement practices in lock-down
• Compensation practices during lock-down and impact on morale of work force
• Contract labour issues during lock-down and lessons
• Future for Home to work
• Home to work and its impact on employment
• Technology and its impact on employment

ACTION PLAN?

Certain skills like researching secondary data, online surveys and working from home has to be immediately acquired. Acquiring knowledge, proficiency in tools and techniques and many more depending upon the necessity of project have to be speeded up. Learning on my own has to be your focus. It may not come to many easily. Informally contacting the right resource for the purpose has to be done. It would need hard work on one’s part. But uncertain times requires greater skills and energy.

Dear Student, I hope this helps you in your MBA journey. Best of luck!

Author Dr SR Singhvi can be reached at sr.singhvi@jaipuria.ac.in.