Spring is arriving at Ohio University, and with it comes the pressure of internship applications. Despite the overwhelming nature of searching and applying for internships and the ensuing anticipation for the outcome, they are a necessary stressor for many students.
Few students are able to get jobs within their field without prior work experience which makes internships so important and covetable. There are also a number of majors at OU which require students to fulfill an internship credit.
Internships allow students to show employers they can practically apply what they have learned in their studies. Silas Graser, a freshman studying conservation and wildlife biology and sociology, said his time as a Community Engagement Intern at Cuyahoga Valley National Park helped him realize what career path he wanted to follow.
“That internship pretty much cemented for me what I wanted to major in in college,” Graser said. “Being able to be outdoors all the time, and go on hikes and then to also teach kids. I knew I wanted to do something with education, but I was more leaning towards a teacher … but doing that internship made me realize I could do education and give back to the community without it being in the confines of a school day.”
Graser has also applied for several internships for the summer which would diversify his work experience.
“I want to, in the future, be a park ranger, and what's really important on that sort of resume is that you've worked at multiple levels of government,” Graser said. “So not only do you have experience at the federal level with the national park, but you've worked at state or local, you've worked non-governmental.”
Erin Roberts, the director of student development for Scripps College of Communication, works closely with students searching for job and internship opportunities. Roberts also teaches a course which helps students prepare career materials and develop valuable work skills.
“That course right now is in the School of Communication Studies, but we are working to make it a college-wide communication course in the fall,” Roberts said. “So students that are interested should look for COMM 3020 if they want more help with that, hopefully, we'll be offering at least one section in the fall and another in the spring.”
Roberts is an OU alumna, having earned three degrees through the university. She was able to use her college career at the Marietta Times for her internship credit and mentioned it was helpful to her career development.
“It was completely and totally a real world, stressful work environment, and I had amazing responsibility and freedom to create and produce content and page designs,” said Roberts. “I was held to a high standard of editing, so it was extremely helpful to me and gave me really great experience to help me to secure my first job.”
Elizabeth Godke Koonce, an associate professor in English, serves as the English department’s internship coordinator. Koonce spoke about the benefits of doing an internship even if it is not required.
“It gives students great chances to make connections in the field,” Koonce said. “It gives them concrete projects to talk about in their particular career of interest. It gives a track record that they have held a professional kind of engagement.”
Koonce emphasized all students should at least consider doing an internship to engage in a pre-professional experience.
