Hello Retrievers and Welcome to 2023! We hope that the New Year is off to a great start for each of you. Whether you are participating in Winter Session classes or getting ready for the upcoming Spring Semester, this is an optimal time to begin thinking about opportunities that can help you build skills, gain experience in your field of study, and help you to navigate your career path. One great way to bring all of these elements together is through an internship. Many companies are posting internships now for Summer or Fall 2023, so this is a great moment to start your internship journey!

You may be asking, what exactly is an internship? It is a professional learning experience that offers meaningful, practical work related to a student's field of study or career interest. It benefits both the student and the employer by supporting the students' career development while the employer gains new ideas, fresh energy, and the new employee potential that an intern can bring to their site.

Internships provide an array of benefits for students including opportunities to:

• Network in an industry of interest - Make valuable career connections in the form of professional references, connections to future job opportunities, or possible mentors or career guides for your career journey.
• Gain work experience - An internship will allow you to add real world work experience to your resume. Even if ultimately you decide to pursue a different occupation or industry from that of your internship, all experience is valuable and shows future employers your impact. You will also experience a professional environment which can help you to understand where you may thrive, i.e. a traditional office vs. working outdoors, as well as to develop important skills in interacting with a supervisor, learning company culture, and collaborating on group projects.
• Develop transferrable skills - Building on the previous point, skills developed at any internship are transferrable across positions and industries, especially career readiness skills such as communication, teamwork, and critical thinking skills. This will also help boost your confidence in the workplace and in your future job search. These skills learned on the job can also be immediately applied in your academic course work through strengthening your leadership in group projects, enhancing communications with peers and professors, and shaping your academic course trajectory to develop skills relevant for a desired industry.
• Earn transcript recognition or academic credit - Career Center courses, such as the Intern Success Practicum or PRAC 102 for On-Campus jobs, provide a zero-credit, transcript notation highlighting your commitment to the career development process. These courses also provide important reflection opportunities to help you identify and articulate the transferrable skills you are learning.  You may also be able to earn upper-level academic credit for your experience via a course in your academic department. Many departments require the Intern Success Practicum as a co-requisite for earning internship/research credit, so contact the Career Center as well as a faculty member in your department for more information.
• Learn career likes and dislikes - Given the short term nature of an internship, it allows you to learn about a job, company, and industry before committing. This is an opportunity to not only learn about the position, but also about yourself - your preferences, skills, abilities, values and personality. These insights provide valuable information that can help align your educational and experiential choices with a career path that is going to be the right fit for you.
• Jumpstart your career - The statistics are impressive: according to What to Become, 50% of companies convert internships into full time positions, increasing the possibility that a company where you interned will hire you after graduation since they know you are a fast learner and an asset to the company. Regardless, completing an internship at any company increases job offers by 16% for all the reasons outlined above.

Want to get started with your internship search? Here are a few ideas:

• Get your resume reviewed during Winter Drop-In Hours
• Schedule an appointment with a Career Advisor
• Search for opportunities directly in Handshake
• Attend the Spring 2023 Career and Internship Fair

The Career Center is back in business following Winter Break, so feel free to connect with us in-person on the 2nd floor of the Math and Psychology building, virtually via Handshake, or by contacting our Front Desk at 410-455-2216. Hope to see you soon!

MEEC will host its Member Conference and Vendor Showcase on April 26, 2023 at Martin’s West.  The day will begin with a keynote address. Multiple sessions by members and vendors will be offered throughout the day and there will be ample opportunity to visit the MEEC vendors. 

Conference agenda

Showcase Vendors

Keynote description

Production assistant needed for Hieronimus & Co., Inc. We are a multi-media company headed by two eccentric artists who are also authors, fundraisers, and radio show hosts. Production help needed for a weekly radio program, podcast, social media posts, fulfillment of book orders, trips to post office and other weekly errands. Computer skills, social media experience and reliable transportation required. Helpful to have experience with audio software editing, iMovie, Youtube, Excel, Wordpress, Macintosh platform. Most important is a willingness to do any odd job.

The College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences is excited to announce that the application for the 2023-2024 Beckman Scholars Program cohort is now open!