The LUMS Alumni Relations Office held a mentorship session led by Saheem Khizar, a graduate of BSc 2012, who is working in the Development Sector, on Saturday, May 20, 2017 for the students and alumni community.
Khizar is working as a Managing Partner at Data Consultants and as an Experiment Coordinator at Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF). Khizar spoke about his experience of studying at LUMS, and how he went on to do his first internship at CARE Foundation, which entailed teaching English to 35 government teachers. Although it was an unpaid internship, he shared that it gave him an abundance of experience, confidence and knowledge.
Khizar explained that during his time at LUMS he did about 10 internships that were mostly unpaid. He emphasised however, that it does not matter if the internship is unpaid; one should not waste a single moment looking for paid internships as unpaid ones teach you just as much. He expressed that unpaid internships instil in you an immense amount of confidence, and train you to work efficiently in a professional environment.
He shared tips and tricks on how to come about internships and job opportunities in the Development Sector. He said that the main focus for students should be to network while studying at LUMS, join student societies, and take active part in a variety of events. Khizar advised the students in attendance to connect with people on an effective level; based on these networks, they would then be able to get opportunities for internships and jobs. He shared that according to a survey, 40% of people are hired through referrals and personal networks.
With regard to digital platforms, Khizar said that LinkedIn is a very efficient tool to network with people. He also stressed the importance of learning the art of writing emails, because the way one writes an email for a job or an internship portrays one’s level of professionalism and degree of interest.
Khizar opened the floor to questions towards the end of the session. He concluded the evening by sharing website links with the students that they could use to apply for job and internship opportunities.
