Internships: It’s all in the networking
Recruiter and employment consultant Bryan Gillum brought news about the recession’s impact on students seeking internships. Although the news was not great, students armed with information, research and networking can improve their possibilities of landing that ever-important internship.
Gillum’s visit to Heidelberg Thursday was sponsored by the Business Enterprise Resource Group, or BERG. Prior to his interactive presentation, six Heidelberg students – Anita King, Josh Carver, Michael Noel, Kyle Anderson, John Distler and Steve Decker – shared information about how they secured their recently completed internships with such organizations at the Department of Defense and the Detroit Tigers. After speaking to the students about why internships are important, Gillum told them about several keys to making themselves more marketable. These include any workplace experience, a strong GPA and involvement in student organizations on campus.
“Any experience at this point in your career is a good experience,” Gillum said. “It shows me you can handle multiple things.”
Students who network through such resources as parents, friends, alumni, professors and electronic media such as LinkedIn will find a way to get their feet in the door and find success in the competitive internship world.
“Use any and every resource you can. … Networking is the best way to get a job … the best way,” Gillum emphasized. “You might be the best candidate for a job, but unless you’re out there, no one will know about you.
Prior to the economic downturn, Gillum – who created the Columbus-based placement firm Career Max after several years as an accountant – said students were typically successful if they used a base of about 25 companies to secure an internship. “In today’s economy, multiply that by 4,” he advised. He recommended that students identify target areas and then use research to prepare them for their search. Job fairs also are an excellent avenue for students to make important connections with potential employers. Several Heidelberg students said they landed their internships as a result of attending job fairs. There, students should “be confident, be subtle and objectively state what sets you apart.”
Gillum also told students to utilize the services of the Career Development Office at Heidelberg. Director Kristen Lindsay also spoke about the services her office provides.
“Yes, the economic times are bad, but this is not impossible,” Gillum concluded. “The more time and energy you put into it, the more successful you’re going to be.”
Posted on Oct. 14, 2009