Become Career Ready through Internships & Co-ops
Internships & Co-ops are work/learning experiences that provide a hands-on way for students to confirm choice of major and/or career. During an internship or co-op, you will have the opportunity to enhance one or more of the NACE competencies.
Examples of how students have developed or enhanced their competencies with internships/co-ops:
- Pat focused on their career and self-development competency during their summer internship by having career conversations and informational interviews with senior administrators at their organization.
- Bob enhanced his communication competency through consistent messaging in emails, both within and outside the company, by reviewing the content for clarity, consistency, and errors.
- Fen applied her critical thinking competency when challenged with projects outside of her major, while on a co-op with a national company located in Hartford, CT.
- Isabella developed her equity & inclusion competency after working at a start-up by being an advocate and emphasizing to her supervisors how having a diverse staff would help the business reach a wider customer base.
Feel free to schedule a meeting with a Career Coach in the Center for Career Development or talk to another trusted faculty or staff member on campus; maybe someone you’ve already connected with around career. The entire campus community is committed to your success-all you need to do is ask!
Do you have an example of a career-readiness competency that you have gained or enhanced? (Career & Self Development, Communication, Critical Thinking, Equity & Inclusion, Leadership, Professionalism, Teamwork, Technology)
We would love to hear your story. Please complete the Competency Intake form.
Sharing your competency development inspires other students to think about where and how they can gain competencies within and beyond UConn, and can prepare you for future interview questions when employers ask for examples about skills you have developed.
