Thursday, November 19, 2009
Internships: The Starting Point
Internships: we all here about the importance of having an internship when we are in college. In some cases, internships are a graduation requirement, like in the Marquette Diederich College of Communications, in other cases internships are just strongly suggested in order to get an upper hand in the job search upon graduation. Regardless of the reason why you apply for an internship position, the bottom line is that internships are the starting point in your professional career, and the lessons that you learn and the experiences that you encounter will be the basis for your future career.I am currently hunting for an internship in the Public Relations field. When I first began to look, I really had no idea where to begin. At first I was overwhelmed by the idea of finding an internship on my own; however, after talking with a few people who were also looking to apply for an internship, I discovered that the Marquette University website acts as a guide to a number of companies looking for someone to fulfill a spot. The requirements to fulfill the position are listed on the page, as well as a link to read about the company—the origin of your future is literally a click (and an application) away.
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6 comments:
I have been told, on numerous occasions, that in order to get a job in the Public Relations field, students need to have as much experience as possible. The more internships you have, the better. And, the more diversified your experiences are the better your resume will look.
Try checking out Big Shoes network (www.bigshoesnetwork.com) for internship postings around Milwaukee/Chicago and even job opportunities!
Marquette's Career Manager has aided in getting me my two internships. It is such a great, useful tool for Marquette students and I really wish more people would take advantage of the service. Marquette's job connection website is also a great site for students to find jobs in the area.
Playing devil's advocate on internship experience however-- Internships may look great on a resume but in reality if a student isn't doing anything pertinent to the job field it is almost a waste. My internship this summer was so great because I did everything a real PR professional would do- I met with advertising executives, I made pitch phone calls, I drew up the marketing budget etc. Those kinds of internships are what will be most valuable to students in the end because they will receive necessary job experience relevant to their career field.
I am currently looking for an internship now, and boy is it a little stressfull. Today actaully I have to make a cold call to a pr agency I applied at and check in on the resume process to see when they will decided their interns for spring semester.
I'm nervous, but I know it has got to be done. Thankfully the Career Services Office has been incredibly helpful. I have been working with Amanda Mueller there, and she has gone above and beyond the call of duty.
She has looked over my resume and cover letter numerous times, and even gave me a mini script about what I should say when I call today. Without her I think I would be totally lost.
I have had great internships experience in both public relations/communications and political science (my two big interests). Each one has been very unique in the day-to-day tasks, but a lot of the skills you learn apply to all of your new experiences. Not only have I built up a strong resume, I have enhanced my communication, time management and professional skills while applying my academic work in a real world environment. The carer services office and Sheena Carey in the College of Comm are great resources for locating available internships and can tell you about getting credit for your work.
You know, I couldn't agree with you more. Last semester I quit my internship to start studying for the LSAT and since had nothing after my summer job. I was talking to my mentor and she suggested another internship. Being a senior I wasn't sure if an internship was the right approach, but she convinced me otherwise.
I posted on here a while back about the Internship Seminar that Lambda Pi Eta put on for the College of Comm and highly recommend that students attend their second seminar. I know of a handful who have already reaped the benefits, myself included!
Finding an internship has also been a challenge for me and I have put it off way too long. I will be completing my internship for credit next semester(my senior year second semester)at Entercom. My biggest regret is not looking/applying for internships earlier in my college career. I never realized the importance of having real life career experiences before graduation. If I could do it all over again, I would have been more prepared and proactive in finding more than one internship during my four years.
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