Demand for interns up, says recruiter

There has been an increase in intern vacancies in the financial and information technology sectors as well as in business and management.

PETALING JAYA: Economic setbacks caused by the Covid-19 pandemic have raised the demand for interns because they are cheaper to hire, according to one of the founders of an online platform that connects students to employers.

Chew Yinxie of Internspoon told FMT there had been an increase in intern vacancies in the financial and information technology sectors as well as in business and management.

She said they were especially in demand for operational work in customer support and graphic design and employers found them to be more manageable than full time workers and more flexible with skills.

“If something is just a temporary job, and an employer needs someone for it, there’s no need to hire someone full time,” she said. “Interns are very useful in the execution of projects and supporting business teams.”

She also said new graduates, regardless of the courses they took in university, were more adept than older workers with digital technology and social media marketing.

“They have fresh ideas, are up to date with technology and are attractive to prospective employers.”

Chew acknowledged that some companies might delay hiring interns not only because of economic challenges but also over concerns that parents were discouraging their children from taking up jobs for fear of Covid-19 infection.

“Some employers already had interns in March, but because parents decided to pull them out, they may feel the need to hold back intern hiring until July,” she said.

“But internship is an interesting field to explore as long as employers keep an open mind and are inclined to nurture talents.” she said. - FMT