Illustration of a student and his laptop -

Gabrielle CEZARD / SIPA

  • Nearly a hundred young people responded to the call for witnesses launched by

    20 Minutes

    .

  • They tell about the difficulties related to the internship search, their fears for the future, and the lack of human contact.

Insecurity, isolation, dropping out ... For a year, the pandemic has strongly affected students in their studies and their daily lives.

Difficulties also encountered in finding an internship, which has become a mission impossible for some as the end of the year approaches.

A few days ago, the president of the Pays-de-la-Loire region Christelle Mor Anglais (LR) even called on companies to open their doors more to young people.

The government will put more than 30,000 internship offers online next Monday on its 1jeune1solution platform.

Objective: to respond to situations even more tense than usual, as told by young Internet users who responded by dozens to the

20 Minutes

call for witnesses

.

"I should have started my end-of-studies internship in a pharmaceutical laboratory in January, and here I am at the end of February still in desperate research", wrote Antoine.

Valentine, a law student, also has a hard time: after 50 applications sent to notaries, lawyers or associations in her region, she has so far received only… five responses, all negative.

“They are all the same: it was impossible to receive me because of the sanitary conditions.

I have even reached the point where I am happy to have a negative answer because it proves that I am considered a minimum, ”admits the young Toulouse woman, already deprived of her job as a waitress.

"If I have nothing, I could not validate my year"

If we understand the lack of offers in certain sectors, such as tourism or catering, it also concerns more promising sectors.

"My field of study is the management of healthcare companies in the broad sense, I must admit that I am in the misunderstanding", indicates Yann, who says that his internship of Master 1 had already been canceled, last year.

"A hundred applications and none of positive, calculates for his part Elias.

However, studying in DUT Informatique, the request should be simple ”.

It must be said that the competition is tough.

“Many companies have opted for a work-study rather than an intern to meet their requests, because of the aid offered by the State for work-study students,” says a user.

Selma, a business and organization management student, makes a bitter report.

"We feel neglected by companies that later want us to have a minimum of experience but who do not want to provide it to us," she says.

"It's hopeless," writes Max.

Concerns for the future sometimes in the very short term, while an internship is often essential for the validation of a year or a course.

"This year, it's a desert," says Graziella, who has already had several experiences in cultural journalism.

If I have nothing, I would not be able to validate my year, while I obtained my first semester with honors… ”Jules, in applied arts, regrets that his school did not provide for a“ safety net ”and is preparing for the option of repeating a year.

Scenario impossible for Baptiste, who will have to stop his studies altogether if necessary.

"I will not be able to afford to pay another year of tuition fees", fears this student engineer from Nantes.

"Human contact is sorely lacking"

For some, by dint of perseverance, this quest has been crowned with success.

Still it was necessary to make concessions.

After "300 phone calls and 60 applications", Olivier reports having landed an interview for an internship in psychology where he was taken ... at 1:45 from home.

Coralie, she accepted "a minimal gratuity" because of the "lack of budget of the company".

Ousaama, in real estate BTS in Paris, knew that he would "not have a lot of missions to carry out" but was able to draw from his six-week internship interesting discussions with the director of the agency who had, suddenly, the time to train it.

In internship since September for six months, Lyna, she admits to regret having accepted this position, for lack of anything better.

"I am in the field of disability whereas I want to specialize in the field of addiction," says this future social worker.

I'm in an office all day, nobody cares about us and I don't like what I'm doing.

It plays on my mind, it disgusted me with my studies and my future job.

"

Fortunately, the picture is not so dark for everyone.

Margaux, in master's 2 marketing, landed her place in "a company which only works online and which saw its activity explode in 2020".

Jean-Baptiste believes that his internship is going “normally” even if “after two months, time is long and human contact is sorely lacking”.

It must be said that after a day on site, the young man switched to 100% teleworking.

“We have two virtual cafes in the week, support with regular points and above all we are reminded to draw the line between professional and personal life.

"An apprenticeship that will be useful for his entry into the world of work as the Covid has now shaped it.

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