The Path to After Graduation Employment: Internships

As children we were presented with the three G’s of life: Grow up, graduate school and get a job. This checklist is short, but is it really that easy? 

A big part of  getting a job is having work experience. Most college students find this in the form of internships. 

According to a study from theNational Association of Colleges and Employers, 51.6% of students in the class of 2018 who had worked an undergraduate internship converted internships into jobs.  

“Internships are an amazing opportunity for students to network, to build their resume, to gain vital knowledge of the job market, to build valuable skill sets such as customer communication, teamwork and time management, and most importantly, it can act as a long term interview for a potential future position in the company,” said Hannah Carroll, internship coordinator at the Murray State Career Services office. 

Senior Emily Perry from Paducah, Kentucky, works as an intern at Career Services.. Perry, a  math major, hopes to work in postsecondary education administration after graduation. Perry heard about the internship from a friend who recommended her for the position. This successful networking led to an application and interview process. 

As she approaches May graduation, Perry reflected on the lessons she has learned from this internship.. 

“I would encourage students to take an internship on campus especially if it is related to the career they are going into because these are the types of things that you can’t learn in a classroom,” Perry said. “These are things that you learn on the job. It is very valuable.”

Handshake is an app designed to connect college students to employers used by the university. According to Career Services, of the over 5,000 employers on the site, 25% have posted seeking one or multiple internship opportunities. 

Carroll said internships allow students not just get to get work experience but allows the participant to reevaluate their career goals.

“It can even serve as a tool for students when narrowing down what they don’t want to do if they get into the position and realize it is not for them,” Carroll said. “ Almost any opportunity to gain work experience can help build a better, well-rounded employee for their future career!”

Students seeking internships have multiple resources to help them in their search. On the university website, the career services page has an internship tab with 35 different links and resources to internship opportunities.. 

Carroll recommends that students seeking internships not only rely on resources such as Handshake, but place a priority on building professional connections.

“Students can also look at online job boards such as indeed.com or monster.com but the best way to find an internship is from networking,” Carroll said. “We encourage students to reach out to their professors, professional contacts, and even complete a LinkedIn profile and reach out to Murray State University alumni that are in their field.”