Exploring Challenges And Opportunities In Internship Amidst Pandemic Using Sentiment Analyzer For Interns

Abstract

An internship is a period during which students can get work experience related to their studies. This study aims to find out the challenges and opportunities that the IT, Business, and Accountancy students experience while conducting their internship program amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. The researcher used a qualitative approach in data collection from 12 participants from Information Technology, Business, and Accountancy students who conducted their internship during the pandemic. The respondents were interviewed online through semi-structured questionnaires, and the information collected was recorded, refined, and analyzed using Monkey Learn sentiment analysis. The study discovered that students have some difficulties adapting to work-from-home internships due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The findings show that students frequently encountered issues such as the need to learn new software and IT tools, difficulty locating companies, an unstable internet connection, a lack of necessary resources for the job, lack of supervision, noise and distraction in the workplace, limitation of the task assigned, and difficulty collaborating with other interns. However, they highlighted positive responses, such as the assigned tasks are related to their programs. They gained new knowledge, learned new IT tools, improved collaboration and communication skills, and developed study habits. Furthermore, they feel safer in their home, have no hassle going to work, save money on travel and boarding costs, and discover new companies offering online internships. The findings provide an insight into the challenges and favorable impact students encountered during their work-from-home internship. Even amid a pandemic, the institution and organization can collaborate to deliver the learning objectives required for students' career advancement.