Pounce Online

Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: Arts and Entertainment

Career Services welcomes students to there office for help looking for internships. (Noah Gent/ Pounce Online)

One option for summer is an internship and if you need help it is not too late to go see career services.

Linda Moore, director of career services, said students who are looking for an internship should start by identifying employers that can offer them the experience they want.

A random approach is not a good approach, said Moore. Once you decide on the type of employer you want to work for, make a plan for going after those particular employers.

Kelli Brosam, a career advisor, said you want to have your resume complete without any spelling errors, grammatical errors, and in an easy to read format because your resume is the first piece of information a potential employer will see. In addition you will want a good cover letter and be sure you have good references, Brosam said.

Eastern student Laura Pizzo, a communications major said she had a resume, but it was boring, so she brought it to career services because she heard career services can really help polish your resume.

Moore said another thing that can help you get an internship is doing more than just studying. Get involved in club activities, professional societies related to your major, and do community service, said Moore.

When an employer looks at a student who has interned they know the student knows what they are walking in to and won't quit a few months later because they don't know that they don't like their job, said Moore. You can always tell a student who has already done an internship, because they are confident and confidence sells, said Moore.

If you are interested in a company and you can't find if they are offering internships, don't let that stop you. Moore said approach the business, try being face to face so you can get their attention, even if it's just for two minutes it shows them you are a candidate and you are serious.

Moore said you should consider hanging out at a coffee shop near your potential employer or find out where they have cocktails after work, and if you happen to strike up a conversation with someone that works where you would like to, take advantage of the situation. Moore said social networking is the number one way people get jobs

Moore said if you want a paid internship compared to an unpaid internship you may have to hunt, but most are paid. Careers in the entertainment field and social service field may have a harder time finding paid internships, said Moore. While it is a supply and demand issue for the entertainment industry, companies that perform social work typically need all the free help they can get, said Moore.

Moore said about 60 percent of students from Eastern Illinois University will work with career services before they finish their senior year ,and 4000 to 5000 students come into career services every year.

Finally if you want to turn your internship into a job, do good at your internship because often companies use internships as a screening device for future positions, said Moore.

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