ASK HR: Shouldn’t they have given me a job by now?

Focus on the bigger picture - an opportunity to develop your skills and gain work experience. PHOTO | FOTOSEARCH

What you need to know:

  • You are more likely to secure employment when on internship as opposed to when you are at home actively applying for available opportunities.
  • I advise that you nurture your skills to a level where you become almost indispensable to the organisation, such that they would not risk losing you.
  • This you can only do if you exhibit a positive attitude and learn as much as you can, without a sense of entitlement.

Q. I have been an intern for seven months now in a manufacturing company. I am given a stipend of Sh5,000 every month yet I put in as much work as the employees, who I believe earn very good money. My internship was to last three months but no one asked me leave. Now I feel taken advantage of because my input benefits the company yet no one has offered me a job. What do I do?


Internship is an opportunity for fresh or continuing graduates from universities and colleges to learn the actual work environment and get a chance to put into practice the theory they have acquired in college. Most organisations have a policy on the duration of the internship programme and the stipend payable.

Moreover, most organisations create a talent pipeline from their database of interns. When there are vacancies, they tap into the database because the interns already understand the company’s work culture and ethics and therefore have a shorter learning curve, if any.

Internship opportunities are few, therefore you should count yourself lucky that you got placement. The benefits of internship programmes far outweigh the nominal financial benefit you are currently receiving.

The fact that you are exposed to the same roles and responsibilities as the permanent staff is a reflection of the confidence the organisation has in your abilities, you would therefore be a perfect fit if a vacancy were to arise within the department in which you work.

This organisation is not under any obligation to offer jobs to all those it offers internship opportunities, you are therefore lucky that they are willing to have you beyond the initial internship period - maybe they are using this opportunity to develop you further for future employment.

You are also more likely to secure employment when on internship as opposed to when you are at home actively applying for available opportunities. I advise that you nurture your skills to a level where you become almost indispensable to the organisation, such that they would not risk losing you. This you can only do if you exhibit a positive attitude and learn as much as you can, without a sense of entitlement.

You must also alert the organisation that your internship contract has expired, otherwise you might not get the stipend at the end of the month without a valid contract.

That said, if you feel caged, you have an option of seeking an internship or job opportunity in another organisation, but unless you get a better option, do not walk away from your current placement. Focus on the bigger picture - an opportunity to develop your skills and gain work experience. It is true that patience pays.