The journey of a student through Murray State is dotted with job and internship opportunities and application deadlines. In the Career Services office, the advice is to jump on them.
Murray State offers a multitude of opportunities for students to go all over the United States and bulk up their resumes.
“In order to take the first step into applying for an internship, you need to find out what you want to do and what you are passionate about,” Ross Meloan, director of Career Services, said. “It could be anything from journalism to engineering, but it’s always a good idea to have a basic plan on what you want to do.”
By going into internships, students can put that experience on their resumes. The extra experience gives students a boost into the career world and shows they’re better prepared for what employers task them with, he said.
Undergraduates and graduates alike can gain experience from an internship, he said.
No matter what stage they are in their education, students’ resumes can gain from what an internship.
“I ask the question, ‘what reason do you have for not doing this?’ and I realize that there are a lot of reasons,” Meloan said. “Fear. Some don’t want to feel alone or don’t want to be too far away from home or maybe they think money is too much of a problem. But when you weigh the alternative thoughts of working toward (internships), there’s no argument against the benefits.”
Meloan suggested students visit three websites to prepare for their search: goinglobal.com, racertrack.com, and careersshift.com.
Careershift.com is only available at the Career Services office, but Meloan said everyone is welcome.
There are certain things that people wanting internships must look out for when choosing an internship.
Many are unpaid, and Murray State cannot provide scholarships for housing outside the University.
“We will not stop until we help you with everything,” Meloan said. “Though we can’t give money out for housing on different internships, we will help you find sites that can alleviate the burden.”
Starting as early as possible is the best action when considering internships and jobs on campus, he said.
On the Career Services page and on every student’s MyGate page there are links that can help them get jobs on campus with few steps.
“I’d say it wouldn’t be too hard to get an internship,” Anna Gorsick, sophomore from Louisville, Ky., said. “The school is really good about helping students to experience many forms of education, so the school makes sure to provide programs and staff to help students apply for internships.”
Gorsick said she wants to focus more on academic work rather than finding a job, as well as being involved in multiple organizations.
Story by Teddy Martin, Staff writer