With summer quickly approaching, some students might find themselves turning to the Spring Career Day and other services in order to land a summer internship or job.
Randy Dineen, an internship adviser for the College of Arts and Sciences Career Services, said that while the career services available to students differ based on the student’s major, many schools of enrollment offer similar services, including resume critiques, mock interviews, networking workshops and online job postings.
“I strongly recommend students to utilize FutureLink and other systems like it,” Dineen said. “All jobs and internships are listed there … Students have access to 4,000 companies and 1,000 postings on FutureLink.”
Students will have access to more job postings since EHECareers, Engineering Career Services, FisherConnect, FutureLink and Hireabuckeye are part of one campus-wide database, Buckeye Careers Network. Students whose colleges belong to the network can access all career postings on the network, which means more opportunities for students, said D’Andra Mull, chief of staff and director for strategic partnerships for the office of the vice president of Student Life.
Dineen suggests taking advantage of other online job postings and the career databases offered at OSU. Websites like idealist.org, which posts nonprofit positions and teamworkonline.com, which offers positions in the sports industry, help students search for positions by job sector. Sites like monster.com and indeed.com are usually not as helpful for students, Dineen said, as they often post upper-level positions.
He also advises students to directly communicate with employers on their own websites.
Taylor Redick, a second-year in psychology, was a promotions intern for a radio station in Chicago last summer.
Redick said she looked for internships directly on companies’ websites. While she received responses that way, she heard about her internship through friends.
Redick also took advantage of the Younkin Success Center’s Career Connections office to help begin her search.
“They led me through different career paths,” Redick said. “It’s something that I could have done on my own, but it was nice to have someone there to help me narrow it down.”
The Spring Career Day April 3 will be the last career fair offered to students this school year. For Dineen, preparation is key for the event.
“Research is always important to find out who is going to be there and what they’re hiring for,” Dineen said. “With 1,000 students and more than 100 organizations there, you’d be wasting your time without a plan.”
Margaret Bogenschutz, senior director of undergraduate career management at the Fisher College of Business, said students should have a strategy going into career day.
“Make a couple lists of 10 companies that you must see, and an additional 10 you’ll see if you get around to them to introduce yourself,” Bogenschutz said.
Students should bring copies of their resume in a portfolio and be as professional as possible, which includes dressing appropriately. Dineen suggests business suits for men and business suits or conservative dresses for women.
To make a strong first impression, students must know in advance what to say to recruiters.
“Have a 30-40 second commercial for yourself, where you introduce yourself, your major, what you’re interested in and how you fit into the company,” Dineen said. “Be ready to sell yourself.”
Samantha Rosser, director of campus recruitment for Northwestern Mutual, cautions students against using an overly prepared speech when introducing themselves to recruiters.
“An interview that stands out is one that doesn’t feel like an interview,” Rosser said. “Be conversational. We’re interested in knowing who you are and if you are a good fit. We don’t want you to be fake.”
After the career day, Dineen said the work is only half done. Students need to follow up with recruiters and thank them for their time.
Rachael Shivak, a first-year in biology, said she is not looking for an internship and will not attend Spring Career Day, but sees the value of having an internship.
“It helps a lot to give you more experience in what you want to do as a job,” Shivak said. “In the classroom you learn about it versus in an internship where you get to apply it.”
Dineen agrees that an internship is an important experience.
“I always say that internships are like test driving a car,” Dineen said. “You’d never buy a car sight unseen, just as you don’t want to be in a job without knowing what it’s like first.”
Spring Career Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday in the Ohio Union’s Archie M. Griffin Grand Ballroom. Guidebooks are available online, and shortened versions will be available at the event.
