Colin McKnight
Coming into NC State, not only did I have no major plans for internships or networking, but the latter never even crossed my mind. Later, when I saw my degree audit, and discovered that I am required to have a communication-related internship in my fourth year, I thought to myself “Well, no biggie until then, right?” Please, don’t be first-year me.
Two meetings into my second year with my major-related club, the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), I quickly realized how important networking and striving for internships truly is. While I am extremely grateful that I didn’t wait until my third or fourth year to stumble upon these incredibly important resources, I regret that I missed an entire year of building new relationships and researching local internship opportunities.
There are several social networking tools to consider using including LinkedIn, Facebook, Snapchat and Monster.com.
LinkedIn is a social media platform designed to help individuals create professional connections and message one another about job opportunities. Some of the best connections you can make are friends, family members or even just the people that sit to your left and right in class.
You might be thinking that you only use these outlets for social reasons, but many companies have Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and other social media accounts that serve to both stay connected to the general public and inform job-seekers about new openings, and they may be looking at your account. Monster.com is another great resource for finding job listings in your local area. Use these websites to be the first one to know about opportunities in the area.
By building a network, you are helping yourself stay informed and connected to the professional world, and helping others to stay informed about your own growth. But connecting with other professionals is about more than just staying up-to-date on one another; for college students, the word of the day is internships.
“The biggest benefit I got out of internships was actually figuring out what I wanted to do after I graduate,” said Josh Ewy, a fourth-year studying chemical engineering.
With internships come experience, connections and resume building. They are some of the best opportunities for you to finally get out into your field and gain the crucial experience that you’re going to need after graduation.
“I figured out I didn’t want to do chemical engineering once I graduated, so I plan on going to medical school,” Ewy said.
By being connected, your name is much more likely to be suggested when an open internship is mentioned.
Sarah Hallyburton, a third-year studying fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology, said about professional networks: “If people know how well you work, they might call you for the job first or if they hear about something or if they have recommendations.”
NC State is surrounded by excellent opportunities for career growth. We are fortunate enough to be part of the Research Triangle, meaning that many students are right next door to some of the nation’s greatest internship possibilities.
Many believe that all this networking and early career developing is pointless, and that they will be able to just graduate and jump into the workforce with ease. A survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that “Nearly half of surveyed employers wanted new-grad experience to come from internships or co-op programs.” [Office1] This means that many students’ current plan of “just graduating and seeing what happens” is not realistic in today’s job market.
College students are masters of procrastination, and usually have no problem holding off entire papers or projects until the night before they are due. But having the experience you need in your field under your belt, or having your name in the back of as many contacts’ minds as possible, is not something you can just “cram.” Consider starting on your career path now rather than later, because if you don’t, it might just come back to haunt you.