Current Students
Excitement abounds at graduation. Hard work has paid off, a long-term goal has been accomplished and four years of growth, experience and education open up new facets of a young person’s life. For many, the panic related to finding a job after college is a sentiment of the past as internship experience inspires the confidence and knowledge in individuals that is needed to move forward on a career path.
Because of the relatively recent growth of the internship trend, many employers seek graduates who have seized these types of learning opportunities in their fields of interest. Students who leave school with internship experiences usually also have a more honed idea of what they do (or do not) want to do. Some even find they already have a secure job because they had success with an internship or specific employer they worked for in college. “Students that secure internships over the summers that they are in college find themselves having an easier time landing a job after graduation than their non-interning counterparts,” according to an article published on eWeek.com.
For those in the midst of their undergraduate careers, there is still time develop their post-college plans by securing internships, trying different fields that relate to their major or interests and completing externships. At the university and within College Park Scholars, there are various resources for students seeking these experiences. Below we have listed some ideas as a point of departure:
SCHOLARS LISTSERVS AND STUDENT NEWSLETTERS
- The Student FYI listserv is sent out daily over the University’s email system and sometimes relays updates on internships and other opportunities from various outlets within the institution
- The College Park Scholars Listserv is sent out to all scholars and contains university-wide opportunities pertaining to internships and job opportunities
- Some individual programs in College Park Scholars offer internship opportunities through listservs as well; students should check with program directors to see if this is offered to their programs
NETWORKING WITH SCHOLARS ALUMNI
College Park Scholars Alumni Association maintains a website that includes a feature to put alumni in touch with one another, enabling networking capabilities. Visit www.collegeparkscholars.com to register or use this function if you are a graduate of the living-learning program.
WEBSITES
With a deluge of websites offering advice and opportunities for careers, it is evident that there is a market for job-finding and it seems that more and more people from all walks of life need help finding their niche in a highly competitive job market.
Worldwide career networks online:
The University’s career center acts as a rich resource for students seeking future opportunities:
An online database of internships in conjunction with affiliated Career Centers at colleges nationwide.
Internships.com
(University of Maryland - College Park provides access to this website through a promotion code. Visit the university’s career center for this information.)
Other interesting career and/or job-themed websites
Idealist.org
Local Careers.com
