I landed my first internship when I was a university student. I was looking forward to putting everything I had learnt thus far to practice, as well as expanding my network.
While I did get to help with some projects, I spent most days sitting on my desk, listening to music. I was not part of client meetings, nor did I get to meet employees in other departments.
My classmate on the other hand, who was interning at another company, had a totally different experience. In addition to working on projects, she had a week-long companywide orientation where she got to meet other team members. She was also invited to sit in on meetings with clients and to go on field trips.
She later tapped into the network she built during her internship and was able to secure a job a month after graduation. Years later, my classmate’s initial network helped her to connect with people who could assist her with the projects she was working on. She owes most of her early career success to her well-rounded internship.
As numerous students apply for summer internship positions, an organisation should ask itself: Do our internship programmes help interns jump-start a career, or are we just ticking an item off a checklist?
Ever since I became an entrepreneur, my team members and I have worked on developing innovative strategies to diversify and expand our interns’ networks, helping them benefit in the long term.
We found that lunch is a great place to start. Time spent away from the desk helps interns build rapport with their team members. The idea is to help them cultivate work relationships. So, one day it would be a lunch between an intern and their direct supervisor. The other day it would involve their team members. We also take them out on business lunches or coffee meetings with our suppliers or clients, so that they can observe how relationships with clients are built beyond the meeting rooms.
Providing interns with practical skills and the confidence to build connections across the company and beyond helps them tap into social capital to train them for the organisation they eventually join.
An intern once asked: “I enjoy meeting new people, but how can I build relationships?” And this is why I believe it’s essential that organisations invest in training programmes geared towards network-building.
As important as it is that employees know how to navigate different software, we need to equip future employees with the skills needed to build connections and utilise these connections to develop their companies. To ensure that interns are building their networks, employers could have weekly checks, track their networking plans and reflect on their networking efforts.
With more of us working remotely and building our companies and networks digitally, we need to ensure that interns — our future employees — are equipped with the social capital that will help them jump-start their careers, as well as take organisations forward.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer and communications consultant based in Abu Dhabi
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Napoleon
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Ridley%20Scott%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Joaquin%20Phoenix%2C%20Vanessa%20Kirby%2C%20Tahar%20Rahim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%202%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Results
57kg quarter-finals
Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) beat Hamed Al Matari (YEM) by points 3-0.
60kg quarter-finals
Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) beat Hyan Aljmyah (SYR) RSC round 2.
63.5kg quarter-finals
Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Shamlan A Othman (KUW) by points 3-0.
67kg quarter-finals
Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Ahmad Ondash (LBN) by points 2-1.
71kg quarter-finals
Ahmad Bahman (UAE) defeated Lalthasanga Lelhchhun (IND) by points 3-0.
Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Seyed Kaveh Safakhaneh (IRI) by points 3-0.
81kg quarter-finals
Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Ahmad Hilal (PLE) by points 3-0
Racecard
5.25pm: Etihad Museum – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m
6pm: Al Shindaga Museum – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (Dirt) 1,200m
6.35pm: Poet Al Oqaili – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
7.10pm: Majlis Ghurfat Al Sheif – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m
7.45pm: Hatta – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
8.20pm: Al Fahidi – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.55pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m
9.30pm: Coins Museum – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
10.05pm: Al Quoz Creative – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
UAE%20medallists%20at%20Asian%20Games%202023
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh359,000
On sale: now
More coverage from the Future Forum
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S24%20ULTRA
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Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic
John Zubrzycki, Hurst Publishers
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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