Ready or not your future is coming. Soon, you will begin building a career for yourself. As a student, you first have to ask yourself which field you are interested in. Then, you must choose which classes to take and eventually, find an internship. But there’s no need to worry—the ULM Career Center is here to help by hosting workshops and offering career development services.
The Career Center hosted Internship 101 Wednesday in Sandel Hall where Colm Bourke, a career coach, presented a PowerPoint on how to choose an internship and prepare for one. He also discussed the advantages an internship provides for students hoping to excel in the field of their choice.
Along with Bourke, there were guest speakers from CenturyLink and IBM that gave insight on how interns are chosen and what to do to stand out to employers.
“Being able to adapt as things change as well as taking the initiative to learn something completely different than you originally thought you would learn is important,” said Tabitha Lampley.
Lampley, a recruiter at CenturyLink, said one of the most important things an employer looks for in an ideal candidate is if he or she is willing to learn and adapt.
Another important aspect of getting an interview for an internship is having the perfect resume. Tim Clark, the software development manager at IBM, said he believes it is important to be “clear and precise” about your abilities and experiences on your resume.
One thing that both Lampley and Clark agree on is that resumes should never be longer than one page and that the format needs to be kept simple. Otherwise, the automated system that many employers use to narrow down the amount of resumes they have to look at might throw yours out.
The Career Center also set up booths in the Student Union Building to provide information to students about furthering their professional careers while they stopped to eat throughout the day.
One student, Bryce Lovelady, was instantly drawn in by the Career Center’s booths in the SUB.
“The booths were very helpful,” said Lovelady, a sophomore communication major. “They taught me tips for my resume and how to use Handshake properly.”
Real life experience is one of the only ways to prepare for your career path, according to Bourke.