With winter break approaching, it is not every student’s first response to think about summer. However, Keisha Taylor, assistant director for the Career Center, advises students to look ahead to the warmer months by using this break to start organizing plans for summer internships.
Since many employers fill less-competitive internship positions in January and February, winter break is an optimal time to update resumes, research internships, call or email the Career Center and begin applications. Here is how to get started, according to Taylor:
Update resumes and craft cover letters.
Edit and add to an existing resume to include relevant activities and employment changes from this semester. Once a resume is updated, students can tailor it to a specific internship and the position’s needs in a candidate. Resume and cover letter critiques are offered by the Career Center throughout the semester or can be scheduled by appointment.
Students can also upload their resume to WorkNet, an employment database that connects students to on-campus and off-campus work and internship opportunities.
Get to know the Career Center and its employer partners.
The Career Center is open Monday through Friday from Dec. 18 until Jan. 5 for winter break appointments and will have updated spring semester drop-in hours on their website soon. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 419-372-2356.
They also offer events, such as the Spring Expo Job and Internship Fair, throughout the semester to help students build connections with employer partners of the Career Center, which include companies like Disney, Honda and ProMedica. These events range from large-scale networking fairs to smaller cluster programs for specific groups of majors. The Career Center’s calendar of events is available at www.bgsu.edu/career-center/career-center-events.
Taylor emphasized the importance of connecting with alumni and employer partners.
“It’s not about who you know all the time, it’s who knows you,” she said.
This networking can happen not only through events the Career Center offers, but also through online resources such as LinkedIn.
Take advantage of resources offered.
The Career Center offers resources such as FOCUS and the Falcon Internship Guarantee. FOCUS is an assessment of interests and skills with the purpose of helping students explore majors and career options that are best for them. The Falcon Internship Guarantee helps students find experiential learning opportunities if they meet the criteria of a 3.0 GPA, a major declared by the end of sophomore year and progress toward a degree. Some of these opportunities include internships, research, co-ops, field experiences and clinicals for medical students.
Big Interview is another resource the Career Center offers. The site says it offers the tools needed to prepare for interviews and increase interviewing confidence. From mock interviews to lists of potential interview questions, this resource gives several opportunities to train for interviews and receive feedback.
Some final advice Taylor had for students applying for summer internships is to be open-minded about where they can apply their skills and knowledge when researching internship opportunities and to be themselves in interviews. She also advised students to keep in mind an internship might validate their career choice, but it is also okay if they learn about what they do not want in a career from their internship.
