Internships 101: Advice for NGU students
Alyssa Waller, Staff Writer and Photographer
Internships are required for NGU students, but where should they start? Internships are a good way for students to gain experience and to fulfill a requirement needed to graduate. Internships allow students to get experience since employers are looking for students who have experience. But, it is hard for students to get experience while they are focused on class and academic responsibilities.
Director of Individual Services, Stuart Floyd said, “So internships are a great way to sometimes fulfill a class requirement, but also begin to build experience.”
A student who does an internship can say on their resume that they have two years of experience coming out of college. Internships are also important for building connections within an organization. A student who has been trained at an organization has a good chance at getting hired full-time after an internship compared to someone who has not done an internship.
Floyd said, “The way internships are structured, students are trained for how that place does things.”
When it comes to internships and preparing for them, it depends on the major the student has because certain degree programs are going to require certain classes. An example would be Accounting, a lot of times the employer wants students to have experience in QuickBooks and some of the basic accounting classes. A different example would be mass communication, students will need experience with Photoshop or design experience depending on what the student is doing.
Floyd said, “The best place or way I could think of to prepare is going into it with a focus.”
Some ways to find internships would be online. North Greenville has a college-central site that posts internships. Students can also find them through sites like Indeed, LinkedIn, Glassdoor. Students can also Google internships and the internships will pop up. The major companies will post internships onto their websites. Professors are also a good resource to help with connections. The career planning office is also a great resource.
Floyd said, “It’ll be good to look a variety of places to get a diverse result.”
Students should go all in and seek to maximize their time at their internships. The more that students show that they can do, the student can be trusted with more. Different organizations will do it differently, some are structured and will rotate a student and the student will get to see different aspects of an organization. Other organizations are focused and will have students do the same thing for a longer period of time but the student will get really good at what the organization is having the student do.
Floyd said, “Make the most of it, taking opportunities even during lunch and things like that to talk other employees.”
Floyd would strongly encourage students to do an internship and work with their advisor. Sometimes students can receive academic credit for the internship, which would be a great win for a student as well.
Floyd said, “It could put you ahead academically in addition to the experience and always include the internship on your resume because it will help you with that experience piece as well.”
Kara Hayes, senior theatre major, is an interning as a member of the backstage tech crew during the Greenville theatre’s production of “Guys and Dolls,” which ran from mid-February to mid-March. Hayes also helped actors with quick changes or letting the actor know how long they have until they have to be in places during intermission. She also moved set pieces and helped organizing props.
Hayes had found her internship through a friend, whose mom was the stage manager during the production. At the same time, Hayes was struggling to find an internship and her friend’s mom was struggling to find crew members, so it worked out perfectly.
Hayes said, “My advice would be to keep your options open, but have boundaries, and know what you want to get out of the internship before you start looking.”
For students to get the most out of an internship, set boundaries, the student needs to know what they want and once they have the internship, commit to it. Students who are interning, should offer help whenever they can and volunteer outside of their responsibilities, which is a good way to learn.
Joshua Thomas, senior sports management major, got his internship this past semester and does gameday operations for NGU Athletics. He got his internship by building a relationship with the athletic staff throughout his undergraduate career. Thomas helps-set up and cleanup events. He also manages tickets and concessions as well as assist the Director of game day operations with whatever tasks need to be completed.
Students looking for internships should be willing to network and meet people outside their comfort zone. The relationship bult in college can help equip them to find internships and jobs in the future.
Students should ask how they can help their manager and the organization be more successful. It is good to show that they care about they do and that they are willing to do more than what is required goes a long way in impressing the bosses and could land the student intern a job with the organization in the future. Thomas said, “To get the most out of your internship, always be willing to go the extra mile.”
Taylor Elliot, Fall 2021 alumni, did an internship at an inpatient psychiatric facility at Patrick B. Harris in Fall of 2020. Elliot shadowed the head psychologist in group counseling and evaluations, among other things. She knew someone from a mission trip was a medical director there. She recommends doing internships. Elliot said, “Take lots of notes, don’t be afraid to ask questions and make a good impression.”
*Featured Image: Screenshot from Blackboard.
