Featured Article
Internships & The Out-of-State Miami Student
By Jennifer L. McLaughlin, Assistant Director, Office of Career Services, Miami University
The Office of Career Services is often asked why there are not more internships for Miami students in areas outside of Ohio and the Chicago area. It is a fair question that is best answered from the perspective of an employer.
Recruiting at Miami University
Career Services administers one of the largest on-campus recruiting programs in the country. Employers are impressed with the quality of our students and academic programs, and, modesty aside, with the high level of professional service provided by the Office of Career Services.
It is the economic bottom line, however, that determines whether an employer recruits for internships or jobs at Miami University. If traveling to Oxford, Ohio, in search of new talent makes good economic sense, they do it. If not, they don’t. But, just because your son or daughter believes there is a scarcity of out-of-state employers recruiting for internships in his/her hometown, does not mean we do not have services available for them at Miami.
For example, Career Services actively encourages employers to take advantage of less costly, but often equally effective services, such as posting available jobs/internships on Miami CAREERlink and reviewing resumes of students who are registered in our system. Applying for one of these internship postings may lead to an invitation from the employer to interview over the phone or in person when your son/daughter is home. We have 350 – 400 employers who visit Oxford every year, and many additional employers who list jobs/internships in Miami CAREERlink and/or review resumes of students who are registered on Miami CAREERlink.
Solutions to Concerns
If you hear your son or daughter express concern over the lack of employers recruiting interns in their geographic area of choice, you might suggest they contact Career Services at (513) 529-3831 and make an appointment with a Career Advisor. The Career Advisor helps students develop their own self-directed internship search, reviews their resumes and cover letters, and discusses the interview process.
In addition, students are encouraged to attend a How to Begin Your Internship Search workshop, as well as other related programs, including Resumes & Cover Letters and Interviewing Techniques.
A Career Advisor in our office will provide the following tips to students about how to develop a self-directed internship search:
- Interview with employers who recruit at Miami (do not assume there are no employers recruiting in your geographically-desirable areas or you may miss out on opportunities);
- Contact employers in particular fields or cities that interest you;
- Network with friends, relatives, alumni, faculty (parents can play a vital part in the networking process);
- Search newspapers, want ads, magazines, trade journals, telephone books, Web sites for potential employers and internship positions;
- Visit the Career Resource Center in Career Services and research internship opportunities using our various internship directories;
- Participate in informational interviews.
As parents, introduce your sons and daughters to your own professional contacts and friends, and help them with the networking process. At the same time, you might emphasize that while your network may have access to internship opportunities, it is up to them to develop the necessary skills and tools to actually get the internship.
In other words, they must have a polished and professional-looking resume and cover letter, they need to understand the interviewing process and how to prepare for interviews, and they must develop an internship search plan and stick with it. One way to do this is to schedule an appointment with a Career Advisor and/or attend our job and internship-search workshops.
On-campus interviewing is just one way to look for an internship. If your son or daughter wants to live in a specific geographic area, Career Services can help him/her understand how to build an individual internship-search plan and develop the tools necessary to their search. For more information on Miami’s Internship Services click on http://www.units. muohio.edu/careers/students/internships/