June 23: Making a career choice is a daunting business, but keeping your goals and aspirations in mind the prospects may not be all that overwhelming. More so, as these days you can supplement your academic knowledge with on-the-job experience and hence know exactly what to look forward to in a career. So, instead of taking a break in the hills during summers, the more ambitious students are looking for jobs. And there are a whole spectrum of companies on the lookout for summer trainees who can work on short-term projects. Says Arun Kumar Malik, director, HRD, Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd, ``It's a synergy in which both the summer trainees and the companies benefit.''

MBAs, MCAs and other professionals, by virtue of their course are aware of the basics of the job, but in case of undergraduates the exposure is not there. The summer jobs can be vital to fill in such gaps. Commenting on the job profile Malik says, ``Since it is only for two months, the trainees work on specific projects like Career & Succession Planning and Performance Management Systems. The candidates come to know the functioning of the different areas in a business organisation.''

Says Vikas Bagga, marketing manager, Aero Club, (manufacturers of Woodland brand of shoes), ``We put trainees on market research projects on the basis of their aptitude and the needs of the organisation.'' Adds Sunil Jasuja, country manager, Bridge Information Systems Ltd, ``They are put on short-term projects for which we do not need full-time employees. They are often asked to do market research for which outside agencies can charge a lot.''

The trainees are picked from select institutes and after 2-3 days of induction they are put on the projects. Says Malik, ``We take candidates from institutions with which we want to work on a long-term basis. This year Ranbaxy has taken 14 trainees and we pay them Rs 5,000 per month and arrange for the stay of out-station candidates. We expose them to systems in which an organisation works. Earlier there was no learning as far as an organisation was concerned. Now, those who have undergone training at the undergraduate level are better informed and pick specialised streams accordingly.''

As the companies spend a lot of money on recruitment process, such an exercise also helps in identifying potential full-time employees. In fact, one of the directors of Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd had initially joined the organisation as a summer trainee. Adds Jasuja, ``Depending on the kind of project or work, we give the summer trainees Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000. The raw candidates widen their horizons and pick up better communication and interactive skills.''

Interestingly, apart from the cost benefits for the company, some feel that in case of market research projects the summer trainees can be a better bet.

Explains Bagga, ``The trainees give unbiased reports and so we come to know a lot about the actual market position. The stipend depends on the project, but it is a minimum of Rs 1,000 per month.'' There are others like the Delhi Vidyut Board which give Rs 150 per day for very specific jobs like meter reading. And these are for those who are in the senior school level and above.

If your performance is good, chances are that you might get full-time employment with the company. ``There are some trainees who come over even after the two months period is over, to oversee the implementation of the projects. And the two months summer jobs do carry a lot of weightage on the CV, as the performance has already been assessed. Good performers can find it easy getting full-time employment with the company. They develop good networking skills with the professional bodies and hence are better aware of their career needs and expectations,'' explains Malik.

Although many would like to enjoy their holidays, in these competitive times an early exposure with the working of an organisation can have long-term benefits. These can be in terms of value addition to the CV, supplementing class room knowledge and not the least two months salary to add to your pocket money.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.