Searching for a summer internship can be nerve-racking. Where do you go? What are you looking for? How does the search begin?These are the questions that plague many upper classmen as they look toward the future. Many students take on an internship in order to boost their resume. But finding the right company can be more work than the job itself. One can begin this voyage right in WCU’s Career Development Center.
Mary Lou Cubbage, associate director at the Twardowski Career Development Center located on the second floor of the Lawrence Center, notes that they have a plethora of resources for those looking for a summer internship.
First, she recommends going online to www.wcupa.edu/_services/stu.car. Click on the link General Job Sites to reveal a list of different job search engines. Not all of these sites are geared directly towards internships, however. At the bottom of the page is a specific link to Internshipprograms.com.
Here, candidates can post their resume and search for employment around the country. One can target a specific area or see every listing in a specific field across the country.
The next Web site suggested is www.kellyservices.com. Kelly Services is a Fortune 500 company specializing in job placement around the world.
The company has more than 2,400 offices in 26 different countries. Their Intern Administration Services assume responsibility for the administrative end of an intern’s employment. The intern will be paid and trained by Kelly Services, giving the employer and the intern more time to do the actual work.
Along the back wall of the Career Development Center, Cubbage points out the many bookshelves full of binders. Look for the pink and purple binders to find internship listings.
All the listings are alphabetized by major and clearly state whether the internship is paid or unpaid. These, too, cover the whole country, providing internship information from Washington, D.C. to Maine, to local listings like Delaware County.
Cubbage also suggests that prospective interns attend the Summer Job Fair on March 30. The Fair is an annual event hosted by the university, where, over 60 employers will be in attendance, offering internships, summer jobs, and part-time and full-time employment. Cubbage notes, “It’s a really great resource; where else can you find 65 different companies in one place?”
Cubbage said she has “seen students walk in and then walk out with a job.” Many great companies will be there including the high-profile company Trump Hotels and Casino. Others include The Philadelphia Zoo, the Peace Corps, Montgomery County Adult Probation, and the Girl Scouts. With such a variety, it would be hard not to find placement.
Students do not visit the Career Development Center often enough, Cubbage feels. There are many different options available there to help a student find the right summer internship. Cubbage has a lot of energy and wants to help. New opportunities come into her office every day.
If by chance the Career Development Center is unsuccessful in helping a student find an internship, they are told to check with the specific departments here at the university. Most major offices retain their own binder full of internship opportunities. While some of these may be dated, they still provide an invaluable resource.
The most important attribute of a summer internship is experience. Students should search for an internship based on their employment needs. Great experience can accentuate a resume and make the student a more likely candidate.