Jene Thomas – Special to the Southern News
You’re a college student, so that pretty much means one thing, you’re probably broke. I suggest getting a job. Not just any job though, one that fits your major and will give you more than just a paycheck.
For as long as I can remember, my parents always emphasized how getting a job was 70% skills and 30% connections. Here at Southern, there’s one sure way of gaining the skills you need for your career and using the connections from your advisors to get that experience: internships.
At Southern, a lot of professors make internships a requirement for graduation, at least the journalism professors do. Even if they are not required for your degree, they are highly recommended.
The great thing about some internships is that you get paid for learning about your future industry. Think of them as the midway point between college classrooms and the workfield. You need to show up everyday that is required, participate, ask questions and do the work, but then you get the benefits of a career like a paycheck, experience, and connections. If you do really well, they may even offer you a job upon graduation. There’s just so much motivation to get an internship and do well with it.
The importance of internships are greatly understated. “I believe if we give students an opportunity to understand some of the intricate details in an office environment, they see how different components of the team work while gaining knowledge in certain areas,” says Amy Cole, a grants manager at the Nuclear Threat Initiative in Washington, D.C. “For example our interns participate in writing up the ‘daily clips’ that highlight board member activity or major events in reducing threats globally. The knowledge they gain by writing and producing something for our office serves a dual purpose.”
Despite the small size of New Haven or even Connecticut as a whole, there are many opportunities for students to find internships.
For the social work majors, look at all of the inner city schools as a start. Trying sitting in on some New Haven public school classrooms, get to know some of the kids. Become a teacher’s aid. If you’re up for a challenge, and a bit of a drive, head on down to Middletown to Riverview Hospital, a haven for troubled teens. Sure, you’ll encounter teens with issues from eating disorders to schizophrenia, but you will walk away with a lot of experience and some spending money.
For the biology and pre-med students, head on down the street to the Yale-New Haven hospital. A hospital that was ranked among ‘Best Hospitals’ by US News is sure to make an impressive credential.
Need a little help? No problem, just ask one of the many professors on campus. Not only do they know of some places to apply to, but many have worked at possible sites so they may make a few phone calls on your behalf.
All you need is a resumé of your skills and previous work experience, a cover letter detailing your goals and most of all, an impressionable personality. Good luck.
