Internships provide experience
The Career Services Center at Utah State University not only deals with post-graduation goals, but also works to find and obtain internships for students still working on their education.
“Internships are designed to give students career-related experience before they graduate – to give them a realistic feel for what employment is like in a particular area,” said Melissa Scheaffer, who works directly with students in the College of Business.
In addition to valuable experience, internships give students the chance to test their career choice and decide if they want to continue on that path, Scheaffer said.
Internships also look great on résumés and can lead to permanent occupations, she said.
“One of the most important parts of internships is the potential for full-time employment after graduation with those same employers,” Scheaffer said.
“In classes you learn concepts, and internships allow you to apply those concepts,” said April Blazzard, a senior majoring in community health education, interning at the Cache County American Red Cross.
Blazzard said her internship has provided her with real experience and an impressive portfolio which has already helped her as she has begun to job hunt.
Internships at USU can earn students school credits, and are usually paid, though some volunteer opportunities exist, Scheaffer said.
USU places around 2,500 students per year in internships on the local, state, national and international level, she said.
“There is an internship out there for almost every student’s interest, level of ability, education and career path,” Scheaffer said.
Employers enjoy the internship program because it allows them the opportunity to build an applicant pool for future employment, Scheaffer said. They are able to view an individual work ethic and ability on a limited-term basis in order to see if they would be interested in someday hiring the person.
Sometime employers also use interns to help meet a specific need, Scheaffer said.
Students wanting to be involved with the internship program should first go to the Career Center, located in Room 102 of the University Inn, she said.
Workers there will help students get an account on e-Recruiting, an online program found through the Career Center Web page, which helps students and employers connect, Scheaffer said.
Next, the Career Center will direct the student to the appropriate career adviser as well as the co-op adviser in the individual’s particular department, Scheaffer said, which will be a great start to finding an internship.