One of the most stressful times in any student’s college career is seeking real-world experience to match time spent in the classroom.
On Tuesday, UB’s Career Services will host “Internship Day,” consisting of workshops devoted to supplying students with information about applying for and receiving internships. Students can get professional photos taken, listen to guest speakers and receive answers to any troubling questions.
Internships can allow students to gain experience in fields of work and study that they wish to pursue. Not only do they provide experience to build up a résumé, they can also lead to networking connections – some of the most important resources in finding a job.
“The goals of this event are to show students the benefits of interning and how to become one,” says Robert Orrange, the associate director of Career Services. “Nothing can beat meeting up with and engaging people on the path of career success.”
The event will run from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and will include 14 different programs for students to take part in.
At 2 p.m., UB alum Josh Walker, now senior vice president of distribution affairs at HBO, will give a presentation about his professional journey. Walker graduated from UB in 1999 and holds a bachelor’s degree in English and political science as well as a certificate in journalism. He then attended law school at Cornell University and received a Master’s in Business Administration from New York University.
During his time at UB, he was very active in on campus activities and received a number of awards including the New York State Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. Walker was a part of the English Honors Program and was the editor in chief of The Spectrum during his junior year. He will be answering questions after his presentation.
The workshops taking place will range from finding internships on campus to internationally. Information on internships for the environmentally conscious and skill building workshops, such as an etiquette lunch and a public speaking workshop, will also be available.
Students will be able to get a free LinkedIn headshot taken from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a networking event will be held at 3 p.m.
“It’s not a bad idea to dress up and bring a résumé, but it’s not required,” Orrange said.
When searching for an internship, a résumé is a part of the application process for all students. Most students have written résumés before college, but UB offers a freshman seminar that has students submit and work on their résumés.
Many students struggle to fill up their résumés.
“Experience is something I generally worry about with my résumé,” said Andrea Tufekcic, a freshman biological sciences major. “With finding an internship, something I’d worry about is how to self myself with little experience and history.”
Students looking for fresh experience can relieve some of their stress by attending Internship Day.
Another featured workshop will be an interactive internship skill building session led by the ComdeySportz improv group.
ComedySportz does a comedy improv show as a sport with two competing groups of comedians trying to get the most laughs. The group’s improv is a funny and helpful way to boost students’ interaction and communication – skills useful for internships.
The day will end in a screening of the film The Internship, a comedy following two men who obtain internships with Google and head for Silicon Valley.
The film will end the day in a light note, considering the stress that finding internships could bring to students.
“The biggest issue with internships is students need to engage the process,” says Orrange.
But some students don’t even feel internships would be useful to them at all.
Jennifer Sosa, a senior biomedical sciences major, feels that the event wouldn’t be entirely useful to her and not a good use of time.
The process can be daunting, but Internship Day will help students with each step of finding an internship, according to Orrange.
Thanya Theogene is a staff writer and can be reached at news@ubspectrum.com.
