Internship Satisfaction and its Impact on Career Prospects : A Study with Special Reference to the Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya

Abstract

Under secondary education in Sri Lanka, school children with the highest advanced level scores enter into the undergraduate education in 15 state universities, which is free but extremely competitive. In addition to providing subject knowledge, it is necessary to concentrate more on the student development, as independent individuals with soft skills such as self-confidence, communication skills, teamwork, etc., with possible internship training, while educating them on career guidance aspects. The current study examines the significant impact of internship satisfaction on undergraduates' career prospects using systematic use of internship experience on the overall work-related attitudes of the undergraduates. The study was quantitative, and a cross-sectional survey design was followed. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire. Simple random sampling technique was applied to select the sample, and the final sample consisted of 259 undergraduates of Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Descriptive statistics, paired sample t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the data and make conclusions. Findings revealed that higher internship satisfaction leads undergraduates to get job offers quickly. Moreover, Interns feel that internships are an effective strategy for gaining employment after graduation. Findings revealed that Interns feel more confident in finding a job upon graduation.