NESCom Students Excel with Internships
Husson Spectator
By: Kelli Bailey
With the dynamic and always changing job field, having experience is pivotal. One way to get experience while still in school, is to have an internship. An internship is the position of a student or trainee who works in an organization, sometimes without pay, in order to gain work experience or satisfy requirements for a qualification. Husson University and The New England School of Communications sets students up with internships all through the year.
Mark Nason, NESCom’s Internships and Communications Manager, has been setting students up for success since 2014. Nason absorbed the position of internship coordinator after long time director, Bill Devine, retired. Since then, he’s placed tons of students in internships all over the Nation.
“In my opinion, the benefit of having an internship is, that students build experience, another work listing for their resume, and build contacts for the future” Nason states. Having prior experience before entering the workforce can be the deciding factor between you getting the job, or another candidate.
It’s almost a hidden requirement that when entering the job market, you should have at least one to two year of experience working with a company. Nancy Roberts, Marketing Communications Program Director, places dozens of students in internships every school year. Her specialty is in the marketing and media field, and it is her job to find the right candidate for each position. Roberts would agree that having the experience puts you ahead of your future competition. “Most entry level jobs are looking for 1-2 years experience. An internship can count as that experience.”
Having an internship, whether that be with a company you see yourself working for someday, or one that you end up finding out that you don’t like, in the end having the experience will set you on the path of success.
“Success, for me, is defined by the students having a successful internship experience and the businesses seeing value in having the students join them for 15 weeks of working in the field. When all parties involved leave better, than it is a success” Nason states.
“I think in my nine years here only one placement hasn’t worked out. I really try to consider a student’s skill set and the needs of the internship to place students where they will be successful” Roberts tells us.
After speaking with the professionals who have placed numerous students in the job market, they left us with some parting advice.
“Talk with your advisor as well as the Career Center for leads on internships. You might also check national organizations such as PRSSA, American Marketing Association, etc. Don’t pay for an internship. Ideally, you are paid for your internship. Currently there are more internships in Marketing Communications than there are students to place in them so you do have options” Roberts says.
“Ask yourself a few questions: 1. What are you studying? 2. How would you like to specialize? 3. Where can you go geographically? One you have those answers, look at how your skills can tie into a business in that field/geographic area. Ask your instructors for input & suggestions. Also, if you’re going to do one for credit, be sure to talk to me, Mark Nason!”