By guest blogger, Derren Thompson, Manager, Diversity Recruiting for Sodexo. Originally posted on the Student Branding Blog on June 17th, 2010.
What will I do this summer? Should I catch up on rest? After all, it has been a rough semester. Should I complete an internship? If so, what kind? Where? How will I obtain the needed experience to ensure that I have the skill sets that companies are looking for when I graduate?
Does this sound like any of the conversations you’ve played over and over in your mind? Well, great! This simply means that you are a conscientious individual who realizes the impact decisions have on your future. Just note that you are not alone. Many students are asking these hard questions and are weighing the cost of their decisions. From the halls of high school, to the cafés on the college campuses, we are expected to made hard decisions at many points in our lives.
Need help deciding? Here is some advice.
Applying for that internship just might be the answer.
Internships are great ways to learn about a company, gain valuable knowledge, and network with industry professionals and meet colleagues. Taking the step to secure an internship gives you a competitive edge over other candidates. You will gain real life experiences that employers are looking for to manage their businesses successfully. Moreover, most internships are for a short period of time, normally 8 to 10 weeks which gives you the opportunity to really decide if that is the right career choice for you.
Maximize Your Opportunities
As a student, it is important to maximize every opportunity that you have to ensure your seat in a competitive career marketplace. The end result for students that spend time training their minds is that they want to get a great job with great benefits. When you walk into the meeting room for your interview able to articulate knowledge you received from your internship, employers will see that you are serious about your future. As you are aware, during these economic hard times it is important to take full advantage of internship opportunities.
Remember, college days will come to an end. In fact college days are simply a hyphen between two dates and when that time is up, you must be ready for the real deal.
Here are a few tips to find the ideal internship opportunity:
- Decide what type of job will make you happy. Narrow down your interest and streamline your search. Conduct some research to familiarize yourself with the organizations that are industry leaders in your area of interest. Social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Flickr as well as the company’s career page could play a tremendous role in understanding the culture of a company.
- Utilize your career services department on your campus. Companies contact the career services department to look for students. Your career services counselor can assist you with your resume and mock interviews in preparation for your initial interview. They can also assist you in identifying the company that fits the profile that you have in mind.
- Identify the time frame, whether a spring or summer internship. Most companies offer a summer internship, however others do offer spring internships. Sodexo is an example of a company that offers both spring and summer internships. Some will offer the opportunity for you to work the entire spring semester, but you must decide what will be best for you. Keep in mind that you may have to relocate for the best opportunity. Remember the hard questions that we spoke about previously.
- Be open to “non-paid” internships. The experience that you will gain and the people that you meet may prove to be invaluable. Consider the opportunity as an investment in your future and don’t delay. Send your resume off and follow up with the contact person accordingly.
- Apply to more than one internship to give yourself some options. Pursue all internship opportunities of interest and hopefully you will get an offer or two!!
Internships? Yes, they can only benefit you as you progress in your career.
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Sodexo offers students numerous opportunities to gain professional experience or begin a career through education, training, and internship programs. You can learn more about the Sodexo Future Leaders Internship Program an exciting opportunity for rising college students to turn their leadership potential into valuable professional experience, and get a head start on their career. Check out our Future Leaders Intern YouTube video here.
Derren is the Manager, Diversity Recruiting for Sodexo which is a leader in integrated food service and facilities management. He is responsible for managing the Sodexo Future Leaders Internship Program as well as executing diversity sourcing initiatives for both campus and targeted experienced hires. Derren invites you to connect with him on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.
1 comments:
Excellent post on internships. I agree with your post in that internships are a great way to get ahead. In the current economy, internships are competitive. To find the right career path and to get an advantage for getting hired it helps to have access to the right information. While I admit I work for Vault, I must say they have an extremely useful listing of top internships opportunities including exclusive insider information. A lot of their information is available for free. Of course, with a Gold membership you can also get detailed reports and reviews on employers and schools. I Hope this gives you more insight. Do you guys know any other resources that do what Vault does?
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