What are employers and internship seekers looking for this year

Every year, we receive queries from students and recruiters on different aspects of an internship, and to give a detailed insight into the latest internship trends for 2018, have put together a report.

The internship has traditionally been a western concept, but over the last two decades, organisations, and the Indian youth have embraced it. In the last five years, we have witnessed a silent revolution of sorts with internships in India. As the country struggles with issues like unemployability and skill-gap, internships prove to be a practical solution as they provide students a wholesome career experience even before they step out of college.

The hottest cities to find an internship

Delhi stands tall with 36 percent of total internship opportunities. Not just startups, but Parliamentarians, leading companies, and industry experts are hiring interns in the National Capital Region. It is followed by Mumbai and Bengaluru. The other major internship hubs include Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kolkata.

There is a higher number of opportunities in Tier-1 cities of India and students seeking summer internships could head to these cities to explore a diverse range of internships.

What recruiters are hiring for

There is good news for those interested in making a career in management – 47 percent of internships were in the field of management last year. Recruiters hired for profiles like marketing and sales, human resources, finance, and operations, among others. As an undergraduate student, one can do an internship before joining a B-school or better yet, skip the B-School and join the workforce with a management internship which would give a real-life experience.

That doesn't mean there are lesser opportunities for engineering students. With 22 percent of total internships, engineering is the second category for which recruiters seek interns. The top profiles for which recruiters hire include web development, mobile app development, game development, and electronics.

Media takes the next place, with 19 percent of total internship opportunities.

Organisations are hiring interns in the fields of content writing, blogging, journalism, and not surprisingly, video-making and editing. Another major category for which organisations hire is design, and its profiles include graphic design, animation, and UI/UX.

Key stats for internship seekers

Around 46 percent of internships come with a PPO or a pre-placement offer. This is exciting for students who have graduated from college, and are looking to start a career as their internship might get converted into a full-time job.

Of the total organisations hiring interns, 85 percent are startups and SMEs. Our research showed that of all those hiring interns, 14 percent are from e-commerce sector. The other major sectors which are hiring include media and entertainment, banking and finance, academic institutions including IITs and IIMs, and FMCG.

Virtual internships

A few years back, terms like 'work-from-home' and 'virtual opportunities' weren't popular, but are now being slowly adopted by organisations across India. For instance, last year, over 24,000 virtual internships were posted. Virtual internships received three times more applications than in-office internships, which is a clear indication that recruiters should look for virtual interns for various profiles.

It also opens more possibilities for college students who can manage studies along with a virtual internship.

For recruiters, the summer (May and June) and winter (December) are the best seasons to hire potential talent.

Also, the highest number of internship seekers are from Delhi-NCR, Maharashtra, and Karnataka - so, as a recruiter, you now know where to look for your future hires.

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)