The Arbor Aristocrat
Aug. 2013 – Jan. 2015
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STUDENT INTERNSHIPS On Campus Internship Assistance Graduation is coming and the working world seems right around the corner. In a mad scramble for job experience, students scour the web for possible internship fits. Students at Spring Arbor University (SAU) can narrow their search by using on campus resources. Chad Melton, Career Advisor in the Office of Career Development, said it is a combination of the Career Development and specific departments to match students with potential internships.
comfortable going into situations. At times this environment can create a space of preparation that wouldn’t be there if you were just blindly applying for something.”
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When and How to Start the Search
Additional Search Tools
Melton recommended starting the internship search as early as sophomore year. He added that some organizations will specifically look for juniors, because it gives students enough time to establish a strong academic foundation in their field.
Melton said one way Career Development connects students to internships is with an online job board called NACELink. After registering for an account (see table), students can search different internships and begin the application process.
What is Career Development?
Kim Hayworth “I think it is helpful to come get ideas on how to make your resume more attractive, because you Kim Hayworth received a new position after are trying to catch people’s eye,” said Melton. the faculty restructuring this fall, and her job “We also help with interviewing skills so you are title is now Vice President of Student Success and Calling. Much of her work requires correspondence with the Career Development. “Within the job market,
– Chad Melton, Career Development Office
Linked In Alumni Student family and friends SAU family and friends Faculty
“An initial meeting with Career Development is an ideal start for students (in the internship search process),” said Hayworth. Hayworth said this first meeting is essentially a strategy forming session, where Career —4—
The Future of Career Development Changes are brewing for the Office of Career Development and the internship connection programs at SAU. According to Hayworth, Spring Arbor will soon be revealing a new center, called the Center for Student Success and Calling. Career Development will merge in as branch of the Center of Student Success and Calling. This change to administration will come alongside a change in internship structure as well.
“NACElink is one of a few tools offered,” said Melton. “I will post there but it’s not effective as the only option because students don’t get to it. I will also push out internship opportunities to faculty. They are a great resource because they know students best and know if a specific internships opportunity would be a right fit.”
The Career Development Office is located in the lower level of the student center under the stairs leading to the Dining Commons. Career Development will help with documentation such as resumes and cover letters, as well as assisting students in polishing interviewing skills.
internships are something an employer definitely wants to see.”
Development functions to get students moving in the right direction. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the many resources available, including:
Online sources can be used, but Melton said these “cold calls” can be more difficult to find success with. Instead, he emphasized the importance of networking and the use of people you know to bridge the gap between individual and organization.
“Currently, internships are housed in individual academic departments,” said Hayworth. “We are building toward an internship clearinghouse, where students of all majors can make connections with potential internships.” Hayworth said she is working with Melton to create opportunities for student employment within the Center of Student Success and Calling. Responsibilities will include assisting students with grad plans, resume and cover letter coaching, and internship search assistance. These positions will be paid. Hayworth said she believes these student leaders will help create a better informed campus. The idea is for the employees to take what they learn working for the Center for Student Success and Calling to help their peers on and off the clock.
Access NaceLink 1. Visit: go.arbor.edu/cougarcareerlink 2. Cick the NACElink logo 3. Create Account —5—
How I Got the Job
How to Stand Out
A recommendation letter, genuine interest, and exceptional preparations can result in hiring. It worked for me, and it can work for you to. I had no plans for the summer of 2014. It was nearing the end of the semester, and my options were slim. The previous summer I had worked electrical construction at the company where my dad works. I was quite sure I could ride his curtails for another summer, and spend another three months sorting parts, fetching wire, and driving forklifts. It was not a bad gig, but it was not exactly advancing me in my studies in professional writing. With this in mind, I asked my journalism professor about internship opportunities. He replied with the exciting news that he had received an email from Consumers Energy recruiting communication students to join a team of interns to complete a summer project. Excited about the opportunity, I emailed back and within a few days a phone interview was set up. By the end of the week, I was interviewing in person for a technical writing position.
1. Take Initiative 2. Follow Up 3. Study 4. Be Recommendable 1. Take Initiative In my phone interview, the project supervisor informed me that we would be laying out and publishing the manuals with Adobe InDesign, a program I had never heard of. I told the project supervisor I would prepare in every way possible, and expressed my excitement for the project. Over the next couple of days, I watched hours of tutorial videos on YouTube. To get hands on experience, I violated the “Art Majors Only” policy in the art building computer lab and used their program-equipped computers. Further, per the project supervisor’s suggestion, I set up a meeting with one of our campus newspaper designers and received some pointers from him. These preparations set me apart, because I went into the interview Friday able to show my commitment to the project. I made up for being underqualified by qualifying myself with preparations.
Additionally, after both the phone interview and the in person interview I sent an Email response thanking both the Project Supervisor and the Project Manager for their time and consideration of my employment. 3. Study My knowledge of Consumers Energy going into the interview process was limited. To set myself up to interview well, I put together a folder. This folder contained a summary of concepts that I learned in InDesign as well as information about company history and operation. I studied this material in the days leading up to the interview and was therefore able to present myself better and ask more applicable questions. 4. Be Recommendable I work hard at school and seek to establish positive relationships with my professors. My journalism professor was more than willing to write a recommendation letter for me because he had seen me put in the work and produce quality writing over the entire semester. His recommendation letter spoke highly of me because he thought highly of me, and contributed to my hiring.
2. Follow Up I got the job and enjoyed a summer of technical writing on the Consumers Energy Manual Enhancement team. I learned about a unique and marketable form of writing, and how a team functions to carry out a project for a large corporation.
My preparations did not stop after the interview. As my conversation with the Project Supervisor continued during the waiting period, I consistently asked for any additional ways to learn more.
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South Central Michigan Works! Something about the Spring Arbor University (SAU) campus was different. Sure, the Christmas decorations in the plaza were new, but that wasn’t it. Perhaps it was the giant blue and white bus parked just outside the student center.
“They are most prepared to help with fulltime opportunities after graduation,” said Melton. “They are working to establish stronger connections for internships.”
That bus was South Central Michigan Works! (SCMW), who came to Spring Arbor University on December 4 to help students with the job search process. The bus was no surprise to me, because I had seen an advertisement on the electronic board outside the Office of Career Development. Chad Melton, Career Advisor for the Office of Career Development, said Career Development plans to partner with SCMW.
According to the SCMW website, SCMW functions to both provide skilled workers for businesses in the region and connect job seekers to local employers. It says they are the region’s most prominent resource for jobseekers. The bus was creatively printed with the SCMW logo and phone number, but the first thing I noticed was the satellite dish. It protruded from the top of the bus, with its gray receiver slanted up at a slight angle. I walked to the bus, resume in hand, and was greeted by Justin Gifford, SCMW Community Relations Officer.
The bus interior was adorned with computers and office chairs. The place was an office on wheels, and seemed like something an FBI surveillance team would use for a stakeout. After a brief wait in line, Sandy Vallance, SCMW Program Supervisor, asked about my career interests. She also took my freshly printed resume and briefly explained how SCMW worked. I worked my way down the bus and met SCMW Skill Manager, Sandy Saltz. Saltz found me an open computer at the back of the bus and said, “Oh look, you have a friend.” Confused, I looked at the desk and noticed a little lady bug making its ways across the flat surface. She asked me if bugs bothered me, and I said I would be fine. Saltz said SCMW works in partnership with Pure Michigan Talent Connect, a program the SCMW Website defines as a “statewide internetbased labor exchange system.” As the lady bug crept across the desk, I signed up for an account on Pure Michigan Talent Connect, uploading a digital resume for employers to see. It is a testament to the programs connection making abilities that within 24 hours of signing up, I received a phone call from a potential employer. I got on the bus and less than a day later I was talking with a financial company about possible employment in my hometown. This goes to show that a little initiative can go a long way in finding a job, and SCMW provides the tools to cultivate that initiative.
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