Internships are a big part of the Communication Department. They can open the door to many different opportunities, and help build a resumé for the future. Typically, students choose one internship to be involved with as a requirement for graduation. Read about some of these different internships here. Lillian Roberson, a senior at Olivet Nazarene University, decided to take on two different internships.
Her first internship that she got involved with was at Riverside Hospital. She was involved with Foundations, Donor Relations and Larger Events. This internship was hospitality based. Her second internship that she got involved with was with the Center for Online Learning and Innovation at Olivet Nazarene University.
Roberson had been applying to internships, specifically at Riverside, since her sophomore year of college. Roberson was also able to use some connections through the Communication department at the university. Roberson was able to connect with Nicole Burgess, a recent grad of Olivet Nazarene University.
“They did not even have a position open at the time, so we just kind of talked about what my availability was and what her need might be, and kind of figured it out from there,” she said.
Within these two internships, Roberson has been able to gain different experiences and learn more about different positions. With her internship at Riverside, Roberson was able to learn the value of the small tasks that are necessary to get done as well as valuing having everything mapped out way in advance.
Roberson learned how it looks to handle plans the day of the event and how the day will pan out. One example would be working the Heart Ball, Riverside’s biggest event of the year.
“There even needed to be a plan as far as staying after and tearing the event down,” she said.
Roberson’s internship at the Center for Online Learning is something different than this. This internship is very detail-oriented, but also offers good practice and reviewing a lot of writing.
“Being a second pair of eyes has given me really great training in that area,” she said.
Internships can be especially important when it comes to post-college plans. They can be helpful in understanding what can be interesting to pursue post-college.
“I wouldn’t say that they necessarily gave me a clear path for what I want to do, but I also don’t think that I was expecting to be open to them,” Roberson said.
Roberson had pleasant experiences working with both Riverside and the Center for Online Learning and Innovation.
“Riverside has a lot of great opportunities, and I floated around as well. I was also able to work with different departments and build new connections,” she said.
“I love working with Dr. Jay, he has a conscious effort to teach.”
Internships can sometimes lead to opportunities for positions post-college. Because of these opportunities, more college students have become more intrigued with gaining experience through internships. Sage Journals writes that “recent graduates are more than twice as likely to participate as those in the mid-1990’s.”
Compare Camp gives some numbers and statistics regarding positions from internships post-college. For example, “seventy percent of companies offer interns a full-time job. Eighty percent of students accept such offers. As a result, 56 percent of interns get a full-time job from internships.”
Overall, internships can lead to a future for some hopeful college graduates. What is most important to note in all of this is that networking and connections can help in the long run. Building and continuing these in these college years is very important to the future and success of a student post-college.
