Internship season is upon us at Kent State and Michelle Adkins, the associate director of Career Exploration and Development, explained what internships entail and resources that are offered to students to give them the necessary tools to succeed when finding an internship position. 

Internships are valuable when it comes to your future career. “It helps you not only explore that field but allows you to apply what you have learned and get that hands-on experience,” said Adkins. 

You need to think about what you want out of an internship in order to know what you are looking for. “What are your goals, what are your objectives, what do you want out of this and what can you contribute,” Adkins said.  

When looking and actively applying for internships, Adkins said the interview format can be one of the elements that most students struggle with.

One of the resources that Kent State offers is called “Interview Stream” where a student can record an interview with an avatar, then have it sent to a career advisor where they can look it over and offer you feedback. 

This is one of the many resources that are offered to students as they prepare for or look to find an internship. 

Another resource would be the third party platforms such as LinkedIn and Handshake. These two are the most reliable and secure sources for students to find internships because all postings are verified. “Use as many sources as you have available but make sure to verify your information,” Adkins said.  

Rylee Pazzina, a senior marketing student, described her experience and success of using Interview Stream. 

“When I interviewed for my position, after I had practiced my interview through ‘Interview Stream’, I felt more confident going in and noticed a big difference in how the interviewer responded compared to my last interview,” Pazzina said. 

“Once I got the internship, my employer even mentioned how great my interview was and that I seemed very prepared,” said Pazzina. 

While third party platforms were helpful to Pazzina, the “Interview Stream” is what she attributes securing the internship to. 

Take advantage of “Interview Stream” that career advising has to offer as a way to answer the questions you have and to have a better understanding of what you need and how to achieve it.

Emily Mays covers jobs and money. Contact her at [email protected].