It's that part of the year where everyone is scrambling to figure out what they're doing with their summer. Some people already have internships with companies lined up. Others may be applying for jobs back at home. Some might be traveling abroad for awesome international experiences. And yet, you might be watching your friends planning for their summer activities without a clue of what you want to do.
If you are considering staying in the Blacksburg area over the summer, you should definitely think about applying for a Virginia Tech Career Services internship. Take it from a girl who has spent her last year working for them- it's a great experience! Not only did I get to work with some of the nicest people I have ever met, but the internship never felt like a job to me because I was having so much fun. The experience is unique to every individual, but here are my five reasons why you should check out the Career Services Intern Program:
1) You have a great commute
If you're staying in Blacksburg, chances are you're either living on campus or in an apartment on the bus route. This means that your longest commute is either a ten minute bus ride or a ten minute walk over to the Career Services building on campus, across the Washington Street from Schiffert Health Center. If you happen to be working on a project that doesn't require you to be in the office, such as writing for Career Chassé, then you might even get to work from the comfort of your own home! Either way, there's no worry about sitting in traffic during rush hour.
2) You get experience with a professional environment
Since you'll be working in a real professional environment, you'll be treated like a professional. You won't be handed busy work to keep you occupied, but given actual assignments that affect the university and its students. You will get to experience being held accountable for the responsibilities given to you and presenting your progress in meetings with both your supervisor and other interns. Then, at the end of the term, you will present what you accomplished to an audience of interns and Career Services officials. Although this might sound daunting to some, Career Services does a great job of creating a relaxed atmosphere that will ease you into the process you will most likely have in your career after graduating.
3)You could count your internship as class credit
Planning on taking classes over the summer? Depending on your major, your internship might count for class credit! Try talking to your department adviser to see if you could be getting both internship experience and credits in one go.
4) The monthly meetings are centered around teaching you what you want to learn
While the monthly meetings allow you to explain your progress in your internship, they are also a great learning tool. Each month, interns get to decide what topic they would like discussed: interviewing tips, how to discuss salary with an employer, how to accept and reject offers gracefully, even how to apply for graduate school. Whatever you might want to go over you can bring up with your supervisor and learn about at these monthly meetings. After all, that is what Career Services is for!
5) Career Services is for students - meaning that school comes first
Most importantly in my mind, Career Services works for the university and knows the life of a student. Thus, unlike many employers out there, they understand that you're a student first and an intern second. If you have a rough week of classes, as long as you give warning to your supervisor, they will be gracious and understanding. There's no worries about trying to explain finals or large projects and papers to a boss that's thirty years out of college. Plus, if you ever feel over-stressed from your class workload, Career Services will be right there to offer great studying and time management tips. Handy, isn't it?
If I've managed to spark an interest in you, check out the Career Services Internship Program page Career Services Internship Program page. The application deadline for interning in Summer/Fall 2013 closes April 19th, so you have a few weeks to think about it.
I hope to see you around Career Services next semester!
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