Many students like to test out what the work force is like early by completing an internship, and some majors even require one. It looks good on resumes and prepares students for the real world. The Career Center says students still have a chance to land summer 2010 internships.
The Career Center is prepared to handle any and all types of internship-related issues. Eric Anderson, career advisor at the Center, gives some advice for students who find themselves in a bind.
“You do see panicked students every once in a while, but I’d say over half the time it’s not as bad as they usually think it is,” Anderson said.
There are numerous opportunities for students available, Anderson said.
“There are still plenty of summer internships out there, but you probably want to get started [looking] now,” Anderson said. “And for the fall, this is a good time to get started.”
Anderson reassures panicked students that time has not run out and they can still get started without penalty.
“It’s usually not as bad as they think it is,” Anderson said. “[Students] think they’re behind but they’re actually not. We have a lot of resources here that can help them.”
The Career Center’s resources are designed to help students find opportunities.
“We have an internship coordinator who they can meet specifically with, who can help them get set up with their internship,” Anderson said.
Lindsey Gillen is the internship coordinator at the Career Center. She calms down students who are anxious about their lives after graduation and points them in the right direction.
“I think a lot of [students] are afraid of making the wrong major decision, which is going to lead them to a career path that they have to continue on and won’t like for the rest of their life,” Gillen said. “That’s kind of the biggest one.”
Gillen says that some students may be making a big deal out of finding the right career path for them.
“In our parents’ day, it was you get that job post-graduation, and that’s where you work for 30 years. Then you retire, and that’s it,” Gillen said. “That’s not really the case at all these days.”
Anderson and Gillen point to a number of resources students can use.
“We also have a certificate internship program, and that is a certified internship program where you don’t do internship for credit but you do get the support and backing of the school,” Anderson said. “It’s structured like an academic internship but you don’t do it for credit.”
Gillen recommends talking to professors about a specific career path.
“A lot of times I do refer students to their professors, which are some of the most under-utilized resources on campus,” Gillen said. She says it’s a good idea to ask them because of their exclusive fields of study. They may have specific connections with people in the area or throughout the country. She favors this kind of help over popular job-searching Web sites.
“They’re going to craigslist, or Monster, or Career Builder, which are not the best resources for them,” Gillen said.
The Career Center is also filled with books that can help students find internships. Many departments also have their own internship coordinator who students can consult with. Students may also rely on CisternOnline – the Career Center’s online source for internship information. Students can access CisternOnline at http://cisternonline.experience.com.
“The past two weeks I’ve posted multiple internships on CisternOnline,” Gillen said. “There are still employers looking.”
As long as students aren’t looking for a spring 2010 internship at this time, there’s still hope that they’ll get one for the summer and fall.
“There are internships out there; there are resources,” Gillen said. “A lot of people don’t know that employers are happy to take on an intern.”