Internships--Name of the Job Game
By: Elsa Gillis
Updated: February 22, 2012
We're used to hearing of job fairs, but with the job market so volatile these days, many students are looking into internships as a stepping stone toward full time work.
At SUNY Oneonta's Internship fair today, President Dr. Nancy Kleniewski says internships are the name of the job game. "Of all the things that lead to jobs internships are the number one avenue to obtaining a job after college."
That's why the university is working to bring internship opportunities to students.
"Jobs now look for people with experience so I feel with an internship experience is key to getting that next step higher," says student Jonathan Vargas.
"It's helping me build up my resume since I don't already have those people that I can refer back to," says Jerthys Espinal, another student. "I feel like [some] students fall back on internships if they can't find a job."
But as Dr. Kleniewski says, internships are in many ways a necessary first step for students to find work, especially if students are majoring in something that isn't skill-based. "The job market for liberal arts graduates is always tough and people need to know what they're strengths are and how they can present themselves to an employer...To do an internship you have to go on an interview, asses what are you strengths, what you can offer to an employer."
The coordinator of the internship fair says she's noticed a great interest in area businesses and organizations to take on student interns. That interest, she says, can not only help students, but also helps stir the local economy.
"We have almost 40 different organizations in attendance, I think that really shows interest and excitement of local and regional employers reaching out to the college," says Megan Ackley.
Other than obtaining an internship, Dr. Kleniewski offers this advice to students, not matter what the job market is like, "You really want strong grounding in the liberal arts...to get used to critical thinking, to get used to creativity, and flexibility, to get used to working with other people. So concentrating on technical skills, isn't really enough."
