Preparing for life after college
Balancing education, professional experience
By Josh Work, Copy Editor
April 9, 2008 | 3 p.m.
Amid class assignments, exams, club meetings and social events, some students may forget the goal of a college education: obtaining a career. For others, however, this goal is reached by setting aside time for internships.
Students earning a higher education in the hopes of netting a lucrative occupation must strike a balance between schoolwork and professional experience. To achieve this balance, many students turn to internships to develop occupational and networking skills in an attempt to set themselves apart to employers.
"A lot of students have two, three, even four internships, and they are the ones getting the jobs," said Holly Jacobs, internship coordinator for the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University.
Caren Baginski, an OU alumna now working as an editor for HGTV and DIY Network's online components, reflected on her efforts as a student preparing for life after college.
"For the first two years, I was very freaked out about internships," she said. "Looking back on it, all the work seems trivial now. It kind of happened by accident."
A 2006 graduate, Baginski's extracurricular activities included co-founding Speakeasy Magazine. She traces her success back to a chance internship that she received from the wife of an associate.
The three-month internship – the second internship that Baginski undertook – turned into an assistant position with the company. In a matter of time, she progressed to the editor position.
For those sophomores and juniors in a panic, there is no reason to worry, said Brandon Bute, assistant director of Career Services.
"There are a lot of internship opportunities out there," he said. "You don’t have to have an internship to get a job. It's strongly encouraged to get that practical experience. It's certainly not going to hurt your chances."
Education versus experience
Students may find it hard to set aside time to apply for internships when they are swamped by assignments and projects. They must not forget, however, that the intention of classes is to prepare them for the real world.
"Both [education and experience] are important, but experience is more important," Jacobs said. "You’re not going to get grades in a job…but many classes are project oriented. You’re doing experiential work in those classes."
In OU’s Russ College of Engineering and Technology, students must meet a minimum grade point average requirement of 2.5 to participate in co-ops with potential employers. Many employers require a higher rating from applicants, said Robbyn Matthews, coordinator for career programs at Russ.
"We do see companies who want GPA," Matthews said. "Most companies want to see at least a 3.0, in the [student's] major and overall [GPA]."
Throughout their academic career, students may find useful information beyond what is taught in classes. Connections with professors and alumni can lead to the necessary networking skills to draw attention to one's self.
"We encourage students to seek out companies and professors within their field for networking suggestions, or meet with an adviser," said Kay Sutphin, administrative coordinator at OU’s College of Business.
Baginski, who saw herself as a student focused on earning a degree, acknowledged that the seeming ease of her professional success was due in part to her academic work.
"It was surreal how this job fell into my lap, but it really didn't because of what I was doing and what I was preparing for," she said. "I had the sense that I was in for something bigger."
Big versus small
The range of available internships depends on the time of year. As the calendar nears the prime season of summer, internships are still available, but the possibilities are fewer.
Among those choices, students may differentiate between big businesses with globally recognized names and smaller, more local businesses. Benefits and drawbacks exist for either type.
"Some of the smaller to mid-size firms will often give students more breadth of experience," Matthews said. "In the larger companies, the student is often stuck in one division -- more specialized."
Each business size has its own benefits.
"The small business to midsize business operations are where you can find some of the best hands-on business experience… [but] there are some larger organizations out there that have outstanding internship programs, and they have the resources to have a strong educationally-focused internship program," Bute said.
In either case, an internship allows students to get a first-person perspective of the kind of work involved in their field. Depending on how the student feels about the work, such experience may alter one’s plans for the future.
"Be flexible," Baginski said. "Maybe what you think you'll be doing isn't what you will be doing after college. Definitely try different internships, and at those internships, work your butt off."
For more information on internships, students should contact their advisers or the internship coordinators of their college. Career Services at Baker 533 also offers career-planning services in four stages: self-exploration, career options research, narrowing of options, and the job search process.
---