Internships can provide students with valuable opportunities
With job perspectives looking worrisome for some future graduates, GCSU students are taking advantage of internship programs which aid them with hands-on experience and vast networking opportunities. The GCSU Career Center, located in Lanier Hall, supports students looking to intern by helping them narrow their searches to what is available, affordable and realistic to their situation.
Along with giving students opportunities in the workplace, internships are also a requirement for various majors and allow students to get real-world experience in their field. Some of the majors that require internships include mass communication, criminal justice and health science.
Barbara Funke, of the department of kinesiology, has one of the largest credit internship requirements in the area of community health. Funke stressed the idea of students comprehending their internships and grasping what area of expertise they would eventually want to go into.
There are a wide array of internships available, from local businesses to internships abroad. Michelle Berg, internship coordinator at the Career Center, said researching is the best way to begin planning. Students must analyze what they are looking for in an internship, such as distance to home or if they need a paying internship. Berg points out that paid internships are not common, but with enough research in advance they can be found.
Career Connection is an online database of internships that students can access through the Career Centers’ Web site. The database has currently updated internships and allows students to retrieve all the information in one place.
Another way to research internships is for students to investigate available options themselves. Britton Tuck, a senior community health major, researched foreign internships and was the first GCSU student to intern with the Foundation for Sustainable Development in Kenya, Africa.
” I knew that I wanted an international internship and I think international internships are harder to get – they’re more competitive – so I started researching a year, year-and-a-half before for the right one,” Tuck said.
Tuck mentioned the cost of the internship was a drawback, but the costs were offset by her passion for the foundation. The internship also contributed to Tuck finalizing her career goals after GCSU.
“It turns out, I love sustainable development,” Tuck said about realizing her enthusiasm for global health and interning abroad.
Berg said that internships are more prevalent for juniors and seniors, but added that starting to look earlier might be a good idea too. Students can take advantage of resources the Career Center provides such as internship fairs – like the one held recently – to learn more about local companies that take interns. Local companies such as Magnolia State Bank, The Union Recorder and Georgia Correctional HealthCare are some of the companies that look for perspective interns at GCSU.
It can seem daunting, heading into the workforce with a freshly-printed diploma, but with the skills internships can provide students, they can make the transition easier. One thing’s for sure, planning ahead for the right internship is key to having a successful experience.
“If you really care about the organizations,” Tuck said. “You’ll do a heck of a lot more than you ever imagined.”
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Sep 25 2009. Filed under News.
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