Daniella Tebib
News Editor
As summer nears, many students have planned to intern for companies or enter the workforce upon graduation.
Despite not being on campus, Career Services is still fully operational and available to help students. Services being offered include resume review, job search assistance, cover letter development, career counseling, mock interviews and offer evaluation. The only services not being offered are headshots and the career closet.
Matthew Purdy, director of Career Services, said they will provide services through Zoom or regular phone calls depending on what option is easier for the client. Virtual walk-in appointments will also be offered via Zoom on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. One student worker and two graduate assistants are still working to help students and alumni.
Purdy said he anticipates the internship landscape will be different for students based on recent surveys from the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
“Their latest poll of employers shows that 65 percent of employers are anticipating some sort of change to their programs—moving to virtual internships, delaying start dates,” Purdy said.
When considering internships, Purdy said he encourages applicants to be as flexible as possible when it comes to applications and looking at offers.
“Career Services is here to help students through this process and connect them with employers and organizations who are hiring,” Purdy said.
Sunshine Coombs, sophomore from Dover, Tennessee, is a Financial Institution intern at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. If the pandemic continues through the summer, Coombs’ internship will be heavily affected.
“There is a chance that if quarantine continues that I will be issued a laptop and be teleworking for the entire summer,” Coombs said. “I am concerned about my ability to be able to adjust to an online format for a job that I have never done, but I have confidence that my trainer will understand the challenges and devote extra time to ensuring I have the best experience. I am incredibly nervous, but not because of the coronavirus. I just want to impress the people I am working with because the FDIC is where I want to work after graduation.”
As for graduating students entering the workforce, Purdy said he believes they will have to address newfound challenges as well, but he thinks they may also have an advantage.
“I think these students will find challenges, but in many ways they’ll be better adapted for the ‘new’ recent reality than other, more tenured employees,” Purdy said. “I’ve heard of countless challenges with organizations working to go virtual, holding Zoom meetings and taking care of things digitally. Students are already used to a lot of these operations and communicating, and getting things done, via the web.”
While students are worried about securing internships and job opportunities, many are also worried about the state of the economy. Purdy said he is still encouraging students to stay positive.
“It’s easy to be scared of the workforce and economy right now,” Purdy said. “Unemployment is skyrocketing, the market is fluctuating every day and all these situations are unprecedented. As I speak with students, I try to remind them that we’ll get through this and they need to try to stay as positive as possible when it comes to their job search.”
Purdy said following the pandemic, students are going to be in a great position to take advantage of the opportunities that will open up
“While not to the scale of what we’re seeing now, past graduating classes have had similar challenges, particularly during the aftermath of 9/11 and the great recession,” Purdy said. “Flexibility and positivity are two qualities that will help not only in this situation, but throughout one’s career as well.”