Cayla Ames--Liz Jorden answers students’ frequently asked questions about landing internships for practical experience.
The “Last-Minute Workshop” on Sept. 9 regarding internship information was not only a wrap-up of what several other workshops had already stated, but Assistant Director of Career Services Liz Jorden packed details into the hour-long seminar to sate a handful of experience-hungry students.
“The internships provided are- arguably the most important work experience you can have while in college,” Jorden said.
The workshop offered a plethora of helpful hints and useful information for juniors and seniors who want to gain useful experience in the field of their choice or to, as Jorden put it, “test drive new career opportunities.”
“I think it’s a great opportunity. It’s awesome that they’re putting this info out there,” junior Krystin Johnson said. “It’s great that she has these meetings.”
Throughout the workshop Jorden talked about subjects such as how to get internships, what to keep an eye out for when looking for one, how drastically important they are and how students can use them to their advantage while looking for a career.
“Sure, you’re going to want to flaunt that 4.0 GPA,” Jorden said. “But what employers really want to see is experience. Honestly, employers would rather see a 3.5 GPA and work experience than a 4.0 with no experience at all.”
In addition, Jorden talked about things to avoid while looking for an internship, such as paying to participate, generally negative bosses and authority figures or employers who do not teach interns. She encouraged students to report such internships to the Career Services office so they could be modified or removed.
“It’s really important you contact me directly or one of the workers in the Career Services office if you experience a bad internship,” Jorden emphasized. “We need to be able to talk to these employers to explain what went wrong, or at the very worst, delete the internship.”
“All students should research all internships about 2 to 6 months in advance,” she added. “They will also need a resume for the internships, which we can help them all with at the upcoming resume workshops.”
Any students with questions about internships or resumes are encouraged to contact the Career Services offices. Students actively looking to initiate an internship should meet with Jorden to get the appropriate paperwork.
