internship and career development advice
Get an internship . . . because everyone else is doing it!
Hi, I’m, LaToya Farris, the assistant director of Career Development and Internships at 
Career & Employment Services. Long title, but what does it mean? Basically, I oversee the University Recognition (UR) Program and I do outreach to most of the freshmen, sophomores and potential K-State students. As coordinator for the UR Program I attempt to encourage students to pursue internships as part of their collegiate experience.
I’m not sure why students don’t see the important benefits of interning. To me, the benefits are so practical. Think about it would you go get a tattoo from someone who had no experience in tattooing? Uh, probably not . . . so why would you expect someone to hire you for a full-time job with absolutely no experience? Sure it might happen, but those people are just lucky. And trust me, luck is not what you want when you get a tattoo. So I’m encouraging you all to go out and get an internship.
In the infamous words of my 4-year old friend, Amalia, “Why?” In these trying times, you need something to make yourself more marketable. Why? Lots of people have college degrees but not everyone has experience. Why? Because they didn’t get experience through volunteer opportunities, part-time jobs, co-ops or internships. Why? Because they thought finding a job was going to be easy. But if only they knew the real benefits of interning.
So here they are, the REAL benefits of internships:
- 3 out of 5 U.S. undergraduate students will complete an internship or co-op prior to graduation. Why? Because they were the ones who understood “marketing themselves.”
- Employers report hiring 50% of their intern/co-op students full-time following graduate. Why? Because now they have seen your work and know what type of employee you are and your potential.
- Approximately 70% of employers have a higher retention rate among students with prior work experience. Why? Because the students know the work environment and what is expected of them.
- Nearly half of employers offer higher starting salaries to students with internships/co-op experience than those without. Why? Because the employers know that you have more knowledge, realistic expectations and commitment regarding the job.
- You can gain valuable EXPERIENCE. Why is that important? It allows you to “shop” around your career interests and to determine if you can really see yourself doing that job full-time. Whether you decide to pursue that career or not the insight you gain goes a long way.
So what can you do if you are graduating and still do not have a job? Here are some helpful websites.
Also consider an externship. Externships are shorter internships, usually unpaid, that allow you to gain some insight and experience with organizations. Externships can range from 1-2 days to a few weeks. It may not seem like much but any experience is a valuable experience.
Definitely get in contact with a CES advisor for help with a job/internship search.
So hopefully there has been some helpful information for you.
To answer the question why should you get an internship? My infamous answer to Amalia, “Because I said so!!!!”