Students should have an internship by their senior year at Cabrini. For many students, this is a stressful time. It is their last year as a college student. Along with their internship, they still have to take classes.
An internship helps students get to work in their fields, working in the real world. They are able to really get a feel for what they will be doing after college. Internships serve as a very important part of a student’s career before they graduate. It can help them see what if they are ready for the real world and get them a little bit of what it is like.
In a recent study, students who listed an internship on their resume received 14% more offers for an interview than those who did not. More specifically, students who had an internship have 15% lower unemployment, 6% higher wages five years after graduation, and final year grades that are 3.4 percent higher than those who did not have an internship.
Students have resources that assist them in finding the perfect internship that will work best for them. At Cabrini University the CCPD (Center for Career and Professional Development) is where students go to find those opportunities they are looking for.
Students need to get that valuable experience that comes with an internship. Once they are in it and going at it, it can be difficult at times.
Cabrini also is partnered with an app called Handshake that notifies students when an internship opportunity comes about.
A senior criminology major Noleia Ramirez completed an internship at the Police Athletic League in Philadelphia over the summer. She helped with a program that assists inner-city children.
“Since completing the internship, it was an amazing experience. I got to work with so many different people and they really gave me a great insight into what to expect if I become a police officer in Philadelphia,” Ramirez said.
Cabrini tries to make it as easy as possible for students to find and complete internships. Not all students are able to find internships easily.
Some students need the time of their internship to work at a paying job because not all internships pay. Students may not be able to get paid because the internship is counted for school credits.
Some students need that time to be a paying job because they are having to pay for school. Among all college students, 43 percent of full-time and 81 percent of part-time undergraduate students work.
It is also hard for students to balance their internship along with the regular classes they are taking at school. Their internship may have extra work that needs to be done outside of the workplace.
Students also have homework that has to be done for their classes and as seniors, they are at the highest level classes which are the most challenging and for the most part have the most worked given out.
This was especially true for students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, where courses require laboratory time and lots of homework.
At Cabrini, the CCPD is a place for students to go to get help looking for internships and making the process as easy as possible.
Photo from CCPD.
“CCPD provides a host of resources for obtaining internships: Handshake, Career Shift, LinkedIn where opportunities are posted. Students are encouraged to attend CCPD or local career events. CCPD provides a holistic approach to career and professional development and is here to assist students in a variety of ways,” Gabriel said.
There are difficulties though when students are looking for internships. When they face these challenges that is a good time to go to the CCPD and get some guidance.
“Time commitment, where / how to find an internship, does it correspond to the major, location, credit vs. non-credit vs. unpaid. Employers typically recruit 4-6 months in advance which is a challenge for students if they wait until the last minute to begin the search process. Another challenge can be students practicing telling their story on the internship and recognize their transferrable and soft skills to show they are marketable and can be an asset to the organization,” Gabriel said.
Photo by CCPD.
