Photo courtesy of Gloria Valkenburg
The University of Tampa’s Office of Career Services Internship Week takes place between Sept. 17 and Sept. 23. These seven events are professional workshops and events to help students feel confident and prepared to enter the job market, and even just the professional world. From the free-of-charge Career Closet to the Resume and LinkedIn-building events, Career Services are here for you at each step of your personal journey.
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By Amber Louis
TAMPA, Fla. — Have you begun to think about what your life looks like after graduation? What about a summer position? The University of Tampa’s Office of Career Services Internship Week takes place between Sept. 17 and Sept. 23. In those seven days, students have access to a multitude of resources to prepare for the grand finale, the Internship Fair.
Marissa Thompson, assistant director of internships, discussed the intentional design of Internship Week to build the professional steps for students to be confident and ready.
“Step one, for me, is for students to go comfortable and confident on landing experiences, whether that’s an internship or a different experience, to help them obtain more smart learning competencies.”
Each day has a theme and itinerary that will build up skills and resources. Sept. 17 is the Internship Credit Workshop, where students can learn how internship-for-credit works. Another event, Bites, Boutique, & Branding, will be the following day, Sept. 18. Here, students can enjoy food while shopping for free professional clothing from the Spartan Boutique, followed by a headshot and LinkedIn support.
Photo courtesy of the Office of Career Services
Ilena Bain, manager of employer development and partnerships, elaborates on the “Career Closet” that will be featured at the Bites, Boutique and Branding event, where the emphasis is on students building their personal, professional brand for potential employers.
“The career closet is where we have had donations given to us by both students and faculty and staff,” said Bain. “Students [who] don’t have a professional outfit to go to the fair in or to go to interviews can come, and it’s free of charge for them to shop in the closet.”
The Career Closet is open for students whenever they might need it, by checking into the Office of Career Services during operating hours.
Sept. 21 picks up with a Resume Clinic to get feedback on your already created resume. Bain mentioned that industry professionals will be working with the students to workshop their resumes, so that they are fair-ready. Later in the evening is the Speed Networking Night. This is where introductions and connections can be practiced in a high-speed format.
Learn how to stand out at the fair by attending the Making the Most of the Internship Fair event on Sept. 22. Following that is the Etiquette Event. This event is RSVP only, as dinner is served with professional networking and workplace etiquette. The week ends with the Internship Fair, which will be on Sept. 23 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
“It is never too early to start learning how to do this,” said Bain. “It’s an intimidating situation at first; that’s why we open it up to freshmen.”
Madeline Russo, senior marketing intern for the Office of Career Services, encourages the services provided by UTampa, especially for first-year students.
“I think even if [students are] freshmen going in, it’s a great experience,” Russo said. “Just since I’m a senior now, I thought it was a lot coming at once, because I didn’t know any of it, and I didn’t have much preparation for it.”
Students can register for all of these events on Involve, or on the newly released program SpartanHIRE.
The purpose behind the Internship Fair is to prepare students for their postgraduate lives. Career Services is there for each step of a student’s journey into the workplace. Thompson encourages students to start wherever they are and take small, achievable goals in their career journeys. One of those steps is the events that Internship Week holds, as it could be a potential green flag to employers.
“If you’re thinking about a lot of questions, like: How do I stand out in this job market? Or: How do I stand out above other open peers? Because we’re all getting a degree, right?” Thompson said. “Some of those things have to do with involvement on campus, or research and connecting with that posting and projects within the classroom. This [week] is one of the ways that you can also stand out.”