Internship Advice from the Class of 2015
This post was written by Jaclyn Gaines ’16, CCD Peer Career Ambassador.
One of the most important things I have learned so far at Babson is the importance of networking, and networking includes having meaningful conversations with your peers. Last week, I had the privilege of sitting down with a few of the current seniors to talk about their internship experiences. I had the opportunity to ask them what kind of internship they pursued, how they found the opportunity, and what they did on a daily basis at their job. I found this meeting to be extremely helpful, as hearing others’ career development stories have inspired me and guided me through my own career journey. Here are some of the main takeaways I took from their advice:
Network anywhere and everywhere: The seniors talked about taking advantage of every conversation you have with people you just meet, which includes listening to their stories and sharing your own. This helps create connections with others and you never know where these conversations may lead. Even if you are at your internship, and you realize you don’t like the department you are in, try to network with other people in the company in different departments so you can still make the most of your experience.
Make sure you find a corporate environment that matches with your lifestyle: Many of us just think about the industry we want and if that fits with our career aspirations. However, it is also very important to consider what environment and corporate culture fits best with what you want. For instance, try to determine whether you like being at the same desk every day or if you would prefer to be traveling and working outside the office majority of the time.
Start your search early: It is never too early to start planning out your career path. Start by getting your resume reviewed at CCD. Check out the job postings on Career Connections, find opportunities within your network, and apply as much as possible! Don’t limit yourself and make sure you give yourself plenty of time during your internship search.
Don’t limit yourself: Look for opportunities everywhere, whether that is looking at job postings on Career Connections; talking with friends, classmates, professors, etc.; or looking within firms that you are particularly interested.
From hearing others’ career stories, I feel like I have a better grasp on how to tackle my own internship search and have a better idea on what I am looking for from this experience. Make sure you seek you these opportunities to ask people, “What is your story?” and you never know what great advice you will find out!