Career Services

Tips for Internships and Co-ops

Nikita Thadani — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 15:51:50 +0000

Tips for Internships and Co-ops Nikita Thadani Fri, 02/04/2022 - 10:51

by Katrina Dunlap

“Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience.” – Anonymous

“If they can conceive it and believe it, they can achieve it. They must know it is not their aptitude but their attitude that will determine their altitude.” – Jesse Jackson

My very first internship experience was for a non-profit organization, based in New York City, called The Humpty Dumpty Institute. Yes…that’s the name, The Humpty Dumpty Institute! This is a non-profit group that partners with U.S. Congress, the United Nations, U.S. Department of State and a host of other non-governmental organizations to remove landmines and improve lives in war-torn, developing nations. In this role, I maintained a database of congressional representatives and staff, and provided content for their website. This was the best unpaid internship I’ve ever had because it gave me a real sense of purpose that I was part of something bigger than myself. Moreover, the experience afforded me the opportunity to demonstrate my research skills and exposed me to international issues and government relations which have seared my careers interests for many years that followed.

In a 2016 Internship & Co-op Survey that collected responses from almost 300 organizations and across 20 industries, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that “employers begin recruiting interns eight months before their start date; for co-ops [cooperative education programs], this window is six months.”[i] It is never too early to start thinking about applying for these opportunities for next summer.

It is never too early to start thinking about applying for these opportunities for next summer.

While you are bogged down with mid-term exams and papers, take time to consider and plan out your approach for landing the right internship (a one-time work or service experience)[i] or co-op (multiple periods of work experiences)[i] and make the most of it. Whether paid or unpaid, it has been widely accepted that graduate students have leveraged their experience resulting in acquiring future employment opportunities and expanding their professional and academic networks. Here are six tips to consider before, during and after your internship or co-op:

Choose wisely. The summer months can fly by. Don’t waste time on an internship or co-op that lacks relevance to your career aspirations. Typically, the host company or organization has a listing of past and current interns whom you could connect with and inquire about their experiences. A good recommendation would help you choose the right company or program.

Act accordingly. So it’s your first day on the job. Be mindful that from the moment you walk through the door, you are a being evaluated by your peers and supervisor. Adhere to company policies regarding sick leave, dress code and punctuality. I recall my college advisor at North Carolina Central University saying, “To be late is to be absent. To be on time is to be late. To be early is to be on time.” So make sure you arrive early and ready to contribute to the goal of the organization.

Know how to network. Now that you are in the office space, you have the opportunity to meet senior staff and leadership. Make the first move to introduce yourself to senior executives. A common misperception is that the “higher ups” don’t have time to meet with you. While this might be true in some cases, you would be surprised at how others will take the opportunity to get to know interns and who value the work that you do.

Inquire often. To be inquisitive is to demonstrate that you are thoughtful, engaged and interested in the work of your organization. Learn something new each day by asking questions regarding tasks, expectations and company culture. When employers hire interns, often there is an acknowledgement they are investing in someone who doesn’t know everything but in fact can demonstrate his or her value to the organization through their unique skill sets, ability to learn quickly and be absorbent of information.

Maintain key objectives. To make the most out of your experience, keep in mind what you intend to get out of it. Perhaps it is a new skill set or a more sophisticated approach to problem-solving. This is where you build your resume. Stay on track with key objectives for your internship or co-op by meeting with an advisor and supervisor on a regular basis.

Be helpful. When the opportunity presents itself to volunteer to assist or take the lead on a project, take it! You show initiative and that you are a risk-taker when you offer your time to perform a task that might be outside of your comfort zone. Use the opportunity to gain an unanticipated skill set or professional contact that may help you in future endeavors.

Keep in touch. Nowadays, students take for granted the purpose and impact of a thank you note and maintaining communication with former employers. While you are not expected to call or write every day, a casual email from time to time let’s your employer or program director know that your time spent was appreciated. The long-term benefit is that you are not forgotten when companies are seeking permanent hires.

While these tips are important, they are not exhaustive. Talk to your peers, past supervisors and professors for guidance on what internship or co-op experiences might yield the greatest benefit to you and your career aspirations. As Mason students, we have access to many internship and job search tools through University Career Services and through career services offices housed within specific academic units. These offices also maintain resources to help you improve your resume and to help you prepare for a career fair on campus. Take advantage of available resources and watch the many doors that will open before you!

[i] National Association of Colleges and Employers. 2016 Internship and Co-op Survey Report. Bethlehem, PA. Accessed on 12 October 2016. http://www.naceweb.org/uploadedfiles/content/static-assets/downloads/executive-summary/2016-internship-co-op-survey-executive-summary.pdf

This blog post has been edited to reflected updated information and web addresses.

Edited by Andrew Quillen, 04/11/2018

Edited by Nikita Thadani, 2/4/2022

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Networking During a Pandemic Offers Graduate Students an Opportunity to Inform Recruiters

Nikita Thadani — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 22:44:34 +0000

Networking During a Pandemic Offers Graduate Students an Opportunity to Inform Recruiters Nikita Thadani Tue, 01/25/2022 - 17:44

by Victoria Suarez, Assistant Director Employer Development, University Career Services

An unexpected outcome of the current, social distancing reality in which we all find ourselves is that many organizations, institutions, and individuals have granted themselves the grace to try something unique. It has been said that “necessity is the mother of invention,” and, in many cases, companies have wanted to dabble in virtual internships and remote offices spaces; however, only with the weight of Covid-19 demanding innovation have executives authorized these unproven initiatives.

Of course, this phenomenon is not limited to companies; you, too, are innovating during the pandemic. Whether in your role as a parent, student, employee, or friend, consider the myriad, previously inconceivable, actions you have mulled over and finally embraced in 2020.  It is in this spirit — the spirit of innovation— that I hope to convince you to continue to throw caution to the wind and to try something new.  

Networking — the dreaded topic Career Services loves to tout as uber–important – cannot possibly continue in these socially distanced times, can it?  Yes.  Networking is alive and well.  And, similar to social events, K-12 education, and even political debates, to be safe and effective, a bit of change is required.

The networking of yesteryear encouraged new and emerging professionals such as graduate students to attend in-person meet and greets or to conduct social media outreaches for the purpose of coming face-to-face (literally or electronically) with persons of influence. The goal? For the emerging professional to demonstrate verbal proficiency and academic aptitude and to gain insights into potential opportunities.  For persons of influence, the goal was to give back and source potential talent for their organization.  

Today, networking has taken on a different dynamic. Networking occurs almost exclusively over socially distant mediums – Zoom, LinkedIn, email – and offers both parties a chance to gain insights and give back.  Each of us is swimming in uncharted waters: recruiters have as much to gain from engaging with emerging professionals as they do to offer them.  Recruiters and persons of influence previously had valuable, time-tested truths to share with jobseekers – this is not necessarily the case anymore.  In this new reality, recruiters are as likely to ask questions as they are to answer them.

As each of us continue to embrace this new reality, best practices have not yet come to pass.  Establishing effective best practices requires data collection and a lot of conversations. Although emerging professionals may have previously believed themselves to be in an inferior position when reaching out to potential networking contacts, your unique viewpoints may now be a valuable contribution to help recruiters and executives better understand the shifting dynamics of the talent pipeline.

All this is to suggest that networking today requires that we change the initial outreach message.  Rather than leading off with a request for advice or guidance exclusively, consider how your unique insights might be of value to the person with whom you want to connect.  Shift from a deficit mindset – you are lacking knowledge and need to acquire it – to a strength model – your experiences position you to meaningfully contribute.

What insights can you offer?

How your university, children’s school, the local Girl Scout troop, your religious organization, and, just as importantly, the members and staff, are adapting and innovating in this new reality
A view of the shifting approach to recruitment, interviewing, networking at other organizations directly from the front lines. Ostensibly, this is not the only conversation you have scheduled and conducted, so how does this organization and this recruiter’s approach and technology compare? 
A temperature check and a glimpse into a particular candidate pool. In which population segments do you reside, and what are your diversity indicators? Can you speak to the first-gen Latinx experience? What positions do you hold at work, in university clubs or as a Graduate Assistant? What can you share about a new approach to student recruitment in your club or a new process at work? How are students or new alumni in your space navigating these waters?
Graduate students need no script for conducting these conversations, but I would be remiss if I did not provide a few examples anyway.

“I’m a part time Graduate Assistant at Mason and a full-time student in the School of Business. Over the last few months, I’ve had a number of conversations with faculty researchers and with my classmates on how we’re adjusting and innovating in these unique times. I’d love to share my findings and insights with you.”

“I am in my final semester of graduate studies and am also an active member in a student organization. Our club has successfully engaged and recruited new student members, even remotely during the pandemic, and I am open to sharing the details of the technologies and approaches we have used and found to be effective.”

Career services educators have long known that “around 85% of open opportunities are filled through networking” (Source: Payscale). Covid-19 has not changed that fact. It has, however, necessitated a shift in the conversation and, today more than ever, emerging professionals should consider their contribution to the networking relationship as equally beneficial to the contacts with whom they want to establish a connection.

Remember you have something of value to share: lead off the interaction with the ways in which you can support a recruiter or executive’s understanding based on your unique experiences.

Access additional resources and learn more about networking in our 2020-2021 Career Readiness Guide.

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