As a kid, Jill Livingstone was always playing around with a video camera, performing skits for family and friends. Little wonder that the University of Massachusetts graduate would land a job as associate video producer at Reebok International in Canton, Mass.
But loving a job and landing a job, as many grads will discover, don't necessarily go hand in hand. In Livingstone's case, the road to her dream job was greased by the internship she did with the company-and it was an opportunity she nearly missed.
I just didn't think about interning until my senior year, she recalls. A friend told me it was really important for communications majors, and all of a sudden it made sense.
A little investigating turned up a Reebok internship, which immediately put Livingstone in a fast-paced environment with loads of people. I loved it, she says. During college I'd worked jobs where I was always looking at the clock. But not here.
Taking the initiative
Surprisingly, internships haven't exactly attracted students in droves. According to Jeff Silver, associate director of career services at UMass, only 800-1,000 out of the 20,000 students enrolled choose to intern over the course of their college career.
They'll say they don't have time or have some other excuse, he says. But then they graduate and they don't have a job.
The terms internship and co-op are sometimes used interchangeably, but in reality they differ significantly. Students enter a co-operative program that is structured to put them in the classroom for six months and on the job for the next six months, says Craig Bettinson, associate director of career services at Northeastern University in Boston.
Internships are of a shorter duration, usually done over the summer, and aren't necessarily full-time or paid positions, he says.
At Northeastern, 95 percent of freshmen are there for the cooperative program, one of the oldest and most successful in the country. In fact, 74 percent of those 2005 grads who went through the co-op program were offered jobs by their employers.
Easing your way into the job market is one really good reason for choosing an internship or a co-op. According to Livingstone, her predecessor at Reebok was an intern, as were the company's last three hires.
But, even if a student doesn't sail straight from an internship to full-time job, there's still a boatload of value in working a practice job, says Karen Liot-Hill, who handles training and education at Dartmouth College's Rockefeller Center.
It both widens and narrows your career options, she says. It's a way to see if a certain field is right for you or if you want to close the door on that and try something else.
Jocelyn Brown, a Northeastern finance major, is on her third co-op working in marketing and communications at Fidelity Investments in Boston. The experience has convinced her she's chosen the right field. Every day it's something new, she says. This company is so big you don't know what's going happen next.
Just as important are the contacts you make, says Liot-Hill. Students who leave a positive impression on their supervisors and colleagues will find willing resources as they join the job hunt. Interns frequently find these people are valuable mentors on such critical matters as resume writing and interviewing. Just as valuable is their advice on navigating the culture of the workplace.
Pounding the pavement
So where do you start once you've decided to try interning? The career services departments of most colleges have databases full of internship opportunities that have been vetted for suitability, along with reports by previous interns detailing their experiences on the job. Frequently, you can e-mail or phone those students to discuss their experiences on the job. Getting the skinny before you apply can save you from a frustrating on-the-job experience.
Among the online resources Liot-Hill recommends are Monster.com's MonsterTRAK, where interning opportunities are posted by companies from around the country. For students with an interest in public policy careers, she also suggests www.idealist.org.
The best internships are those in small offices or organizations, says Liot-Hill. In smaller organizations you're going to get leaned on to do a lot more.
Once you've narrowed the field and are starting your interviews, don't be afraid to ask some important questions: What will your responsibilities be? Is there a particular project you'll be working on? If there's something that interests you, can you suggest a project? Some workplaces can be quite flexible, offering those who show initiative some fulfilling work. But don't forget to ask how many interns the office or company employs-an office with 25 interns may relegate you to go-fer status, and that's hardly the job title you're seeking in your all-important practice job.
Current Issue - May 2024