It sounds crazy doesn’t
it? You just started college and it’s already time to start thinking about your
first job! But trust me, the sooner you start the better. Although it sounds
intimidating, an internship can be one of the best things you do in college. It
offers you a great first look at what kind of careers people in your major can
have, and lets you use the skills your learned at school in the real world! Plus, you sometimes get to move to new and exciting places for it, and you always meet
some really interesting people that share your passion for engineering!
So now that you know why
internships are awesome, it’s time to talk about how to get one in the first
place. The best place to start is at one of Penn State’s many career fairs. There are so many different ones that it can be a bit overwhelming but here are
the ones you will want to look out for…
- Fall Internship Recruiting Day: September 16
- Engineering Career Fair: Spring (usually January)
- Career fairs specific to your major occurring throughout the year
Okay, you’ve picked a
career fair, now what? There are 5 things you are going to want to have with
you when you go to your first career fair. First, and most importantly, you
need a resume. It’s okay if you don’t have one yet though, WEPO can give you a
hand with that! Second, you will need to dress the part, (the career fair is
business professional) wear your most professional outfit. Third, you will want
to have a list of the companies you want to visit. The career fair has so many
companies there that it helps to go in with a plan. Fourth, you will need an
“elevator pitch,” a short speech about you and what kind of internship you are
looking for and why. And finally you will want to bring confidence! The recruiters
all started out exactly like you so don’t let them intimidate you. So get out
there and get that internship (I know you’ll do great)!
Mikhala Stevens is a junior majoring in Chemical Engineering and is a Mentor for WEPO'15!
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