Takeaways from Internship & Co-op Week 2018

From February 5th-8th (and 15th, thanks to snow!), the Center for Career Development hosted its second annual Internship and Co-op week. With over 1,000 undergrad and grad students attending programming, the week was a hit! Students came together to engage with recruiters, our career consultants, and each other, all with the goal of learning about and pursuing internship and co-op opportunities. Whether you made it to the events or not, here are five essential takeaways to take from the week:

  1. Practice makes perfect. Whether you are preparing a short elevator pitch for a career fair, or getting ready for a big interview, practicing beforehand is key. Any way you can minimize day-of jitters will allow you to feel calm and confident when it’s time to deliver.
  2. When it comes to internships, keep an open mind. Almost 60 students shared about their experiences at the Internship Showcase, and made this very clear. An internship you thought was a backup plan may turn out to be an undiscovered passion. Likewise, a position you thought was your dream job may steer you away from your intended career path. Internships are a time for exploration, so while you should be ambitious, don’t get too hung up on finding the “perfect” opportunity.
  3. Face to face contact is valuable. A real conversation allows you to leave a more lasting and memorable impression on recruiters. When following up, you’ll already have your foot in the door. If you missed out on the in-person events during the week, keep to date on our calendar when you can find listings of information sessions with companies that are hiring.
  4. There is absolutely nothing to lose by attending a career fair. There’s plenty to gain from a Fair besides landing an interview. If you’re second-guessing your resume, learn firsthand from recruiters what you should focus on adding.  If you’re not looking for an internship or job just yet, you can experience the fair for the first time so you’ll know what to expect later on.
  5. The Center for Career Development does more than you may think! From a professional outfit competition using Bliss’ inventory, to the Interviewing Lab, the week was packed with a variety of events. Throughout the year, there are so many unique events designed for students of all interests and levels of career readiness. There’s something for everyone: learn more here.

Feeling inspired by Internship and Co-op Week but not sure where to start? Scheduled an on-campus interview and scrambling to prepare? The Center for Career Development has your back. Come in for a Career Coaching session and you can chat with one of our career consultants about next steps.

By Arianna Dines
Arianna Dines