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3 Reasons Why Internships are Important for Today’s College Student

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Key to Success

In today’s job market, obtaining a Bachelor’s degree can be the first step to a successful career. However, many employers look for students who have held internships or co-ops during their collegiate experience because employers understand the value they bring. Below are 3 reasons why internships are so important for today’s college student.

  1. Internships can help students identify career paths- Internships allow students to see whether or not a career fits with their passion and interest. Sometimes the internship will foster the conclusion that the chosen career path is not what they had expected. However, in many cases, it can lead to a greater understanding of the field and assist with the development of skills marketable for their chosen career path.
  2. Competition is high- In a global job market, competition can be quite steep, so obtaining a real world work experience such as an internship or coop can allow a student to become a more qualified candidate.
  3. Internships can build connections within a career field- Through interning students can build their professional network which can be invaluable in today’s job search. When starting a job search, it’s important to know that 80% of jobs are found through networking. In fact, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) 2008 Experiential Education Survey, employers reported hiring 70% of their interns.

This Thursday, October 20th Career Services will host our annual Internship Hop (I-Hop) from 1pm-4pm in Living Learning E.

~Danielle

“Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish”: Career Insights from Steve Jobs

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Steve Jobs

On October 5, 2011, Apple co-founder and chairperson Steve Jobs died at the age of 56.  Since then, many people are re-visiting the commencement speech Jobs delivered at Stanford University in 2005.  Packed with general life lessons, the speech also has valuable tips for finding meaningful work and sustaining a fulfilling career.  Here are some of the highlights:

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”

“The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.”

There are many variables in life, known and unknown.  For Jobs, one of his “unknowns” was pancreatic cancer.  However, he was able to live his days with fulfillment and happiness by deciding what was in his control and following his passions.  Let this be a good reminder to each of us to “stay hungry, stay foolish.”

~Ashley

(For a written transcript of Jobs’ speech, click here.)

Internship of the Month: Simon and Schuster

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Beryl Frishtick

Intern: Beryl Frishtick
Class Year: 2013
Major: English
Internship Title: Editorial Intern (at the Atria and Emily Bestler Books imprints)
Company: Simon & Schuster
Website: http://www.simonandschuster.com/

Briefly tell us about the organization you were with:  Simon & Schuster is a world-renowned publishing company with offices in NYC, London, Australia, and India.  I worked in the NYC headquarters near 30 Rock.  S&S publishes all types of books, including adult fiction, memoir, celebrity authors, young adult novels, children’s books, and of course e-books.

How would you describe the various projects you did for your organization to someone who is unfamiliar with your field? I mainly worked on three types of projects.  The first was to read manuscript submissions and either write rejection letters or pass them up the food chain to my supervisors if I really liked them.  The second project was writing flap copy, which is the text you find on the back of a book that gives you a taste of the plot.  The third was actually editing books, going through them line by line and looking for grammar mistakes and plot inaccuracies.

What did you like best about this internship? What was most challenging? The best part of my internship was definitely editing novels, because I had the chance to go through the manuscript on my own then sit down with Emily Bestler, the senior editor, and go through both our copies page by page.

The most challenging part about the internship was writing rejection letters, because when I first started I was hesitant and didn’t feel comfortable with that sort of power.  But as I learned more and more about the publishing industry, I felt better able to craft rejection letters and I worked to include as much constructive criticism as possible.

How did you gain credit for this internship? I enrolled in Mary Beth Barritt’s EDSS course to receive one credit, since Simon & Schuster mandates that their interns receive credit in order to work there but I did not actually need the credit to graduate.

What impact did this internship have on your career direction? Because of my hands-on experience this summer with Simon & Schuster, I am definitely considering going into the publishing industry.

What advice do you have for students searching for internships? Try to find contacts at companies you wish to work for.  Nine times out of ten that is how people find jobs, by knowing someone.  It’s frustrating but it’s true.

Why should students do an internship? Interning, especially away from your home or college town, makes you a more responsible person.  It’s great practice for future careers, and it’s also a lot of fun.

Seniors: Planning for After College Starts Today

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This week’s blog entry comes to us from guest blogger, Kyle Espinola. In addition to being a student at University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), Kyle works for FindtheBest.com, a website that allows consumers to compare their purchasing options in various industries in order to make informed decisions.  In this post, he has some advice for choosing potential jobs in cooperation with location.

Kyle Espinola

When I’m not hitting the books or working at FindTheBest, I’m most likely writing a post for the UCSB Career Services blog. I recently wrote a post for our senior class addressing the importance of aligning your career choice with your city selection after graduation. Here are some of the highlights:

Analyze the Job Market: Step one is checking an industry’s job creation to loss ratio. Job markets fluctuate as the needs of society change and industries become saturated. Do your research and make sure to pursue jobs with positive job growth. Here is a future jobs and career forecast tool.

Make Your Major Work for You: Did you know on average surgeons make $30,000 a year more than orthodontists, but are in school for minimum of 4 more years? That is over $750,000 lost to more schooling (and that’s not including the tuition)! This phenomenon isn’t specific to the medical field, so make sure to research multiple career options in your discipline.

City Selection is Crucial: Your salary in a particular job could be more or less depending on the city. Most often the increase is due to cost of living, but not always. You could potentially capture additional income without losing it to taxes, inflated rent, etc. In order to determine the equilibrium, you’ll need to maximize your salary while mitigating your living expenses. Here is a salary by city and job comparison and a cost of living index to help with the calculations.

By accounting for these variables you can set yourself up for a comfortable life. In the end, the true secret to wealth is doing what you love.

Kyle Espinola
Business Development, FindTheBest
Email: kespinola@findthebest.com
Phone: 559-759-4066

FindTheBest is a powerful tool for making quick and informed decisions.
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World of Work: Brenda J. Luciano, Esq. ’97, Associate at Paul Frank + Collins, P.C.

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Brenda Luciano

Brenda J. Luciano, Esq. ’97
Associate
Paul Frank + Collins, P.C. – http://www.pfclaw.com/
Burlington, VT

Major: Business Administration

What type of law do you practice and how did you choose that?

My practice surrounds areas of business law, including business transactions, commercial real estate, and business litigation as well as some environmental litigation. I have a B.S. in Business Administration from UVM so my interests stemmed from my college studies and also from working as a business and e-commerce consultant prior to law school.

What surprised you about law school and/or the practice of law?
Just how diverse the practice of law really is. There are so many areas of practice and so much to always learn.

What changes have you seen in the legal job market? And what should students know about this?

In general the job market and economy are still a bit unstable right now. My advice to students is to be flexible and resourceful in terms of your goals. While in school, students should do things that distinguish themselves from others in the job market, whether it is volunteer work, internships, publishing articles or joining academic or other groups. Show employers that you have done things outside of the classroom especially in a leadership or cooperative role, which may set you apart from the other applicants.

What advice do you have for students considering a career in law?
First, study hard for the LSAT. Take an LSAT course and really try to do as well as you can on it. Also talk to a variety of lawyers already in practice about what they do. You may want to work or intern in a law office to get a feel for the day-to-day work. In addition, visit some law schools and talk to the admissions staff to find out more about what law school will be like. Try to sit in on a class. Talk to current law students or recent graduates about the demands of law school. You may also want to take a legal writing class prior to entering law school since writing is a huge part of your law school education.

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