Students encouraged to pursue internships
Trinity University offers an abundance of programs to its students that allow them to have the most productive, enjoyable college career possible, while also ensuring future success in their prospective careers. Well-known for its study abroad programs, standardized test successes, and liberal arts curriculum, the education and opportunities received at Trinity are unparalleled. Trinity is also notable for having an incredible career department that allows students to receive unique internships, jobs and other career opportunities that may not have been otherwise available to them.
The tight knit community a small school like Trinity allows students to have close access to alumni and faculty connections, as well as the staff members of the Center for Experiential Learning and Career Success, who work to introduce and provide career opportunities for all Trinity students, past or current.
The staff members of the department work to introduce high quality internships that encourage development and hands-on experience to students.
“I’m the internship coordinator in the center. The main functions of my role are to develop more opportunities for high quality internships and, once students are in the internship, to help them make the most of their interning experience. We do this by setting up learning objectives for certain things they want to achieve in their internship, and we think by being really intentional about what they want to do, they’ll want to have a higher quality experience,” said Erin Hood, internship coordinator in the Center for Experiential Learning and Career Success.
By visiting potential employer sites and comparing the goals of the company with the skills and goals of a Trinity student, Hood works in the program to ensure that appropriate and valuable opportunities await a student in their internship.
“A lot of my goal is to set a standard for what a high quality internship class. 69% of the class of 2015 had done an internship by the time they graduated. Part of meaningful work is structured work experience, and we want to make sure the company can provide a structured work experience and a job description. It’s really about connecting the Trinity experience to the broader world,” Hood said.
As a new program on campus, the Center has organized and revamped several of Trinity’s programs in order to ensure even greater success than in the past. Several of these programs will be taking place in upcoming weeks.
“We have our career fair on October 21, and to prepare for the fair, we have Resumania Workshops going on several days next week. We’ll help you with your resume to give to employers at the career fair. There will be over forty employers giving out jobs and internships at Laurie Auditorium. Our brand new Hire-a-Tiger has replaced TigerJobs, and it is a really intuitive interface for finding internships and job opportunities,” Hood said.
Although the center has only been operating for a few months, by operating with both the employers and the students, the internship experiences provided through the center are equipped to be successful.
“This is our first semester in operation, but our goal is to become the primary support center for internships for students seeking internships, doing internships for academic credit and making the most of their internship experience. I support the student and the employer throughout the internship experience,” Hood said.
Having a successful, productive career department like the Center for Experiential Learning and Career Success has been hugely beneficial for students seeking employment and career opportunities.
With countless success stories to back up the department, anyone seeking support in their career from Trinity can rely on the staff members in this area to help them get started. Any students with questions about internships, jobs, or their future career are encouraged to visit the staff at the Center for Experiential Learning and Career Success in Coates to discuss and research their limitless opportunities.
