Everything was at a standstill when two consecutive waves of
COVID hit the state and affected every citizen from all walks of life. Students
were left stranded on their career paths as workplaces closed their doors to
all graduates or undergraduates. The graduate batch of 2020-21 was labelled the
“COVID batch” and many companies turned their backs and even put out
advertisements mentioning that the batch of 2020-21 would not be considered for
internships.
Internships, whether paid or unpaid, are a necessity for
students to get legitimate jobs. Students attested that most job postings
require a minimum of one year experience. But this batch faced great
difficulties since they were left out. Shravani Dangui, a graduate student from
Don Bosco College, Panjim shared how getting to do an internship after two a
gap of two years gave her the boost she needed to start her career in the
private sector.
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“After the pandemic,
one thing I can guarantee is that youngsters faced a complete routine shift. At
least I become an all-nighter. I used to barely see the sun for a few hours.
But after I got the opportunity to join in as an intern, I had to force myself
to get up on time and sleep on time. The internship is not only helping me
learn new things but it is also allowing me to follow a healthier routine,”
Dangui said.
Towards the end of
the two consecutive lockdowns, schools and colleges were contemplating whether
to conduct online or offline final exams. The issue was split into two when
students began protesting for online exams but Megan Rose Fernandes, student at
St. Xavier’s College, Mapusa had a lot to say when asked about her experience
as a student who was almost considered as part of the ‘COVID batch’. She said,
“Most of the students wanted online exams for many different reasons. Maybe
they were not prepared or they were just used to sitting in the comfort of
their homes.”
She further explained
that it was not only the students, but also parents who supported online exams
without thinking about the repercussions on internships or jobs.
“Internships and jobs
actually matter to students who want to chase their career and not be termed as
the ‘COVID batch’. For that we are preapred to go to any lengths and work as
hard as possible. We want to make up for the lost time,” she said.
G Nitesh, also a
graduate from Don Bosco College, Panjim expressed how lucky the students of the
current batches are as they get to have the true experience of an internship
without the crippling worries of being infected with the virus.
“It was difficult for
us during the COVID -19 pandemic as everything came to a halt. We couldn’t get
any exposure or on-field work, but we enrolled in various e-learning platforms
such as Coursera and Udemy,” he said.
It was a new
experience learning through this platform. It still lacked the on-field work
experience which was not possible at that time due to limited opportunities.
“Now that everything
is safe, the students have a great opportunity to enroll in as various internship
programs as possible, which would enhance their skill to a new level,” Nitesh
said.
“My internship was
very helpful for me to develop my skills in digital marketing. I was working
there as a graphic designer and besides that I gained knowledge of digital
marketing as an industry. But I was facing a problem due to transportation
because at that point in time I did not have personal transport due to issues
caused by the pandemic. So I had to travel from my house to the company by bus.
Overall, it was a good experience of working in a company and building good
communication skills. I learnt how to work in a team and much more,” Rohidas
Praveen K Borkar, mass communication student at DBC Panjim said.
He further
highlighted the fact that post Covid, skills would not have been developed had
everything remained online.
Another student
previously from DBC Panjim, Bryan Adams, spoke about the difficulties he faced
after the lockdown was lifted and got an internship.
He said, “Getting
back into internships after COVID was hard for me and others as well. There
were many restrictions but all of that eased off and it became a more pleasant
working environment. It definitely was a hassle suddenly having to get used to
working offline which was a major transition. Gradually I had a ‘mind shift’
because all the mental distress from lockdowns that were burdening me had
suddenly disappeared and I felt free,” he said.
He later explained
how time management became a minor inconvenience but it certainly helped his
sleep schedule and got him to bring his life back on track.
Pandemic has been
real tough on everyone, especially the students. But with their perseverance
and determination, they have managed to beat the odds.
With
the markets now opening up, the youngsters are leaving no stone unturned to get
back to their groove by upgrading their knowledge not onlyh through books but
also through hands-on work experience as interns.
