Lynn University Continues To Provide Opportunities For Students
Seth Lovely
Staff Writer
After students graduate, it seems as if they are suddenly stopped in their tracks when employers ask for college graduates with one to two years of experience.
These employers are serious and it continues to be a huge problem for graduates. Lynn has taken notice to this issue and has created a way for students to gain the necessary experience for the workforce with great opportunities.
This November 3, the Career Connections Center (CCC) is hosting their annual internship fair with more than 50 employers attending.
Representatives from organizations such as, the Miami Heat, The Hilton, ESPN and Zimmerman Advertising are just some of the big names that will be present at this event.
“Getting an internship is very important,” said Anne Marie VanCasteren, alumna and coordinator for programming and student engagement at CCC. “It’s great to get your degree but employers want to see experience…you become more marketable.”
The process of landing an internship is very daunting, but through the CCC, students are now able to be properly prepared.
“Students may be scared to take that initiative and that first step through the door, but as soon as they come in and show us that they are serious about doing this, we will help them from start to finish with building their resume to preparing for the final interview,” said VanCasteren. “We will be there to coach them and help land a really cool opportunity.”
The CCC also hosts a mini boot camp prior to the internship fair in which students go through a series of different stations.
One being a resume helper, an interview session and even someone who helps one with his or her wardrobe for that day.
The CCC gives students the most valuable information to help get them started in their careers that generally starts with an internship.
With four years of college to be had, students have a lot of opportunities to get involved in internships. Van Casteren touched on the fact that too often seniors come into her office looking for internships and jobs right before they graduate, where the CCC wish they could have had them come in their freshman and sophomore years.
By students getting on the internship train early, they gain incredible knowledge not only through numerous opportunities but also because they get to know their likes and dislikes.
Perhaps hospitality is what the student likes in the classroom, but when they get into the field they may strongly dislike it.
By getting a jump start on work experience, students can weed through the things they like and dislike which is sometimes even more important than experience.
“We are hoping to have 300 students attend the internship fair,” stated VanCasteren.
She also said that they have hopes for around 350 students to be enrolled in internships throughout this school year.
The CCC is really stressing on how important these internships are and how they should be taken advantage of as early as freshman year.
They are trying to get into every freshman class and explain to them what the CCC is and to also get students started on their resumes.
Students must register for the internship fair through the CCC. When they do, they will receive a list of all of the employers that will be attending.
It is advised that students do not go in to the fair with a blind-fold, meaning they should do their research on organizations they are interested in prior to showing up.
It should also be noted that business attire is mandatory upon check-in.
