Internships for college students sounds like a big deal, and for some, it is. Getting an internship can set students up for a very good job after graduation.
Unfortunately, not all of the departments on campus talk much about it. Very few require it. Most departments only recommend it and some, not even that much.
The UTM College of Business and Global Affairs recommends that all students have an internship experience.
“Any kind of experience related to the student’s major is better,” said Candace Goad, Coordinator of the UTM Student Success Center.
“Students should try to find work or volunteer in something related to their major for experience.”
Internships are one way to gain real-world experience. Internships can give a student college credit, if he or she talks with an adviser.
Networking is also key, and can be achieved in an internship. Internships allow students to meet all sorts of people within their field and establish relationships that could help with finding a job after graduation. Landy Fuqua, of the Regional Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (REED) Center, said that internships also look good on a resume.
“Internships are great resume builders, and [they] also allow a student to ‘test drive’ their chosen profession,” Fuqua said.
“According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 70 percent of employers require new employees to have had internships in the past, and 51 percent of those students performing internships went on to full-time positions with that company.”
To get an internship, juniors and seniors may apply at www.utm.edu/departments/careerdevelopment/apply.php, where they can complete the form and attach their resume.
Students are matched by employer specifications such as course work and GPA. Resumes are forwarded to the employer and interviews are coordinated for those students they are interested in hiring. All of the internships coordinated through the REED Center are paid internships. Students may also find their own internships in their hometowns during the summer break or search for national opportunities at www.utm.edu/departments/careerdevelopment/nationalopps.php.
“Graduates who took part in a paid internship were more likely to get a job offer, have a job in hand by the time they graduated and receive a higher starting salary offer than their peers who undertook an unpaid internship or no internship at all, according to results of NACE’s 2012 Student Survey,” Fuqua said.
