Graduating seniors turn to internships

By: Tom Auchterlonie

Posted: 5/7/09

As the national unemployment rate climbs past 8.5 percent nationwide, seniors are finding alternatives to traditional employment. Internships, service work and jobs outside their experience area are all attracting seniors who know landing their dream job right out of school may be difficult.

"There's a lot of emphasis made in the news these days about more students this year gravitating towards those type of opportunities," Mike Cahill, director of the Center for Career Services at Syracuse University said. "Everybody's hearing about the economy and the job market and everything."

Cahill said students majoring in communications, fine arts and performing arts find internships especially beneficial during hard economic times because it keeps their skills fresh.

Career Center employees declined to give numbers of students working in these areas because seniors are not required to report their post-graduation to the centers.

Kelly Brown, assistant director of the Career Development Center at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, said internships are a good way for students to make a name for themselves in their field while continuing to gain experience.

"Most graduates don't think, you know, 'Oh I'm going to graduate and get an internship.' But, the internship after graduation can be a really, really good foot in the door." she said.

Internships can also help people stay active in their industries, giving them an edge over those who do not take jobs in their fields right out of college, Brown said.

"The person who is doing the internship while they're looking for a job is going to have a lot more success, because you're still active in the industry, and you're still building your resume, and you're still getting the skills that you'll need to pursue a career," she said.

Robert Hetzron, a senior television, radio and film major, said he is planning on interning at Little Airplane Productions, the same place he interned two summers ago.

"I know I could always have a place interning there," he said. "I don't get paid anything, but at least I'll be able to continue my job search there and still gain what minimal experience I get."

Hetzron is staying optimistic and telling his classmates to do the same. He is hopeful that if new graduates keep working hard, they will find the opportunities they want.

Amy Friers, career counselor for Career Exploration Services in the College of Arts and Sciences, said students continue to be interested in service based opportunities, including Teach for America, the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps and teaching abroad.

But applying for service positions can take a while. Friers said many students have contacted her about service opportunities after the deadline to complete applications.

Seniors must remain flexible and pursue different opportunities even if it's not exactly what they studied in college, Brown said.

"They can still have that dream job, they can get there, but maybe their path is going to be a little different," she said.

Cahill, of SU career services, stressed that it is important for seniors to begin the process of looking for a job quickly, and look for jobs that could be used as stepping stones for their careers.

Jackie Checho, a senior international relations and Spanish major, said her job search is going well and that she has a few interviews lined up. But she is still weighing different options. She said she applied to internships in addition to jobs as backup options, and is open to relocating to other parts of the country for work.

"I'm open to anything, really, and I feel like a lot of people are in the same boat."

tbauchte@syr.edu