Internships: More Than Just Fetching Coffee

In our current economic climate, searching for a job becomes a daunting task. As a college student whose only job experience was working for her dad, finding a summer job was even more overwhelming. That's when I decided to switch gears-I stopped trying to get hired at Starbucks and started trying to find a way gain real experience in a field for which I actually have a passion, psychology. I ultimately came in contact with Dr. Conover and became her intern, but only after sending out copies of my resume to everyone I could possibly think of that might have been able to help me. This summer experience has taught me just how important it is for students to put themselves out there. In college, we have learned not only how to be hard workers, but have also cultivated a true enthusiasm for our area of study. We would be a valuable asset to any office! However, the work force will not know how much we have to offer, or even that we exist at all, unless we tell them. I have learned that you cannot have the attitude that an opportunity will simply fall into your lap, instead you have to go out and chase what you want. Sometimes it feels awkward or uncomfortable, like you are "selling yourself" to a potential employer, but I have learned that it has tremendous results. I truly believe that a summer internship is the best way I could have spent my three months at home; I am gaining invaluable knowledge both through observation and practice, as well as forging contacts that I know will extend far beyond August. Therefore, I would strongly encourage every single college student to actively seek out an internship in a field that they enjoy. It may seem like a lot of hard work, but it will ultimately be an extremely rewarding and positive experience.

--Jillian Tessier, intern for Dr. Conover