Many graduates join the job market with no practical and
employable skills. Things are even harder given the competitive job market and
the growing number of students graduating from tertiary institutions
every year.
Kathleen Lihanda, a graduate with Bachelor of Arts in
Liberal Arts with a focus in Leadership and Management from DePaul University,
Chicago founded My Internship Finder (MIF) App last month to combat
this hurdle.
“I was inspired to develop the App to ensure that every
on-going college student who requires work experience conveniently
accesses internship or attachment opportunities during their period
of study in College,” says Lihanda.
The App is an online-based system for early-career
professionals to find and explore opportunities, access career advice, and get
discovered by employers. The App can be downloaded for free through Google Play
Store. The App requires users to sign up and prompts them to fill out
background information about themselves and their past experiences (takes
approximately less than six minutes). Once this is completed, the profile will
be viewed by interested employers.
“Using this MIF App profile, students can apply
for dozens of jobs within minutes. Employers can also invite you to apply to
their positions,” says Lihanda.
Even though developing the App has taken patience and
understanding of the target group. Lihanda says most resources have been pushed
towards smooth functionality of My Internship Finder which has been a
bit draining.
“The App is the premier online career development platform
for students in the region. Based on our projections the App will
gain over 10,000 users within one year,” adds Lihanda.
Lihanda’s passion is in helping future workforce make
informed career decisions to better their future.
“Every student regardless of area of study
requires industry experience. The experience translates theory into practical
skills. The reality is that only medical and science students are
guaranteed of internships or attachment,” asserts Lihanda.
Currently, Lihanda is using the App to partner with
Universities and Colleges to ensure all students regardless of the
area of study can conveniently access work experience. So far, universities
such as Maseno have been brought onto board.
Lihanda also holds an MBA in Social Entrepreneurship
from Graduate Business School in Catholic University, Milan, Italy in which she
received the Entrepreneurship for Impact (E4Impact) Award. She is a member of
International Coaching Federation.