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Holy Cross
students find
a path into the job market.
By Margaret LeRoux Have you heard
the
one about the student intern? Not a "How many student interns does
it take to change a light bulb?" joke, but the current buzz that says internships
are the fast track to solid job opportunities for graduating
seniors.
Those supervised, on-the-job experiences used to be a source of office humor
back in the days when an internship meant little more than busy work. A few years
ago, as competition for jobs heated
up, they stopped being funny. Students with internship experience had an
edge over fellow graduates.
And, in today's supercompetitive market, internships have often become a prerequisite
for a job offer.
As internships have become more important, their value has also increased in
the corporate world. No longer are student interns unpaid go-fers. Some earn
upwards of $10 an hour; others receive a stipend. Instead of spending hours at
the copy machine, summer interns are now analyzing budget sheets, writing reports
and meeting top company
executives.
"Internships are crucial in every field," says John J. Winters Jr., director
of career planning at Holy Cross. "They're a great way for students to learn
what they're getting into, and a way
to gain valuable skills and experience."
Take it from a knowledgeable alum, Peter J. Mondani '79, manager,
financial leadership development and human resources, for the General
Electric Co. Mondani estimates that "85 percent or more of the new
employees accepted into the company's entry-level training program
have done an internship."
Mike Philbrick '96, public relations coordinator
for the Women's Sports Foundation, says, "A student who's done an internship
offers a more complete package to a potential employer."
Amy Murphy, assistant director of the Career Planning Center drives home the
point. "At the Career Planning Center," she says, "we're working very hard to
make summer internships available in addition to the academic internships offered
during the year in order
to keep our students competitive in the job market."
Starting in early winter, the Career Planning Center sends a summer internship
and job opportunities bulletin via e-mail to all Holy Cross students; the 15
editions of the bulletin sent during
the 1998-99 academic year listed 130 openings.
"We've turned to our alumni as another valuable
source of internship opportunities," says Winters, "and they've come through
with a gold mine of possibilities."
The internship program is valuable for both the employer and the student, according
to Mondani who has come back to Holy Cross for the past two years to recruit
summer interns.
"For us, it's the opportunity to observe the students over the course of their
internships, to see if the match is right
between us," he says. "We've found at least half our new hires through
internships." Two of the Holy Cross students who did summer internships with
GE in 1998 were later offered jobs.
Tim Donohue '71, president of Boston Market Strategies, a business development
and consulting company, has hired Holy Cross students as paid interns for
the past two summers. The students do market research, help prepare proposals
and write reports.
"We're an office of 10, so internship here
is very much a hands-on experience," Donohue says.
At GE this past summer, interns lunched with the chief financial
officer of the company and attended a company-sponsored
networking session that introduced them
to GE management from all over
the world.
At the Women's Sports Foundation, Philbrick
notes, "Interns are doing many of the same tasks I do."
The Foundation offers full-time student internships during both semesters and
in the summer. Currently Holy Cross student Angel
Sheridan '01, a member of the women's hockey team, is interning in the
Foundation's development department.
"Interns are chosen carefully and they're
given a lot of responsibility," Philbrick says. "We're
looking for people who can read, write and think effectively
in a variety of subject areas; this fits
perfectly with the academic mission of Holy Cross."
At the Career Planning Center, Winters is convinced
that, given internship opportunities, Holy Cross students will
shine.
"Academically our students are as good, if
not better, than the students they're competing against," he says. "By providing
internship opportunities, we're giving them the means
to be even more competitive."
Mondani says, "When you have a graduate with a liberal arts
education, with its emphasis on thinking and problem solving,
then add the real world experience
of an internship, you have a home run."
(The College has recently announced plans to expand its
internship program. Watch for details of this new program
in a future issue of Holy Cross Magazine.) Students Find Direction, Connections at the Career Planning
Center
Prospecting among Holy Cross alumni for summer internship
programs is but one example of how the Career Planning Center
has developed to meet the changing needs of students.
"We have a threefold mission," explains John J. Winters Jr., director of the
Career Planning Center. "We assist students in identifying career objectives
commensurate with their abilities, interests and values; teach job search skills
for students seeking internships or employment; and provide resources for students
seeking employment."
In recent years Winters has overseen a shift in emphasis from helping students
identify career objectives to teaching them job search skills and helping them
identify the resources they need.
Amy Murphy, associate director of the Career Planning Center, targets Holy
Cross alumni who can assist students in networking, mentoring, "and even suggesting
the right person to review a student's resume."
It's important that liberal arts graduates understand the strengths they bring
to a potential employer, she notes.
Peter J. Mondani '79, manager, financial leadership development and human resources
for General Electric Co., adds, "Having both technically trained people and
liberal arts graduates on the same team is a winning combination. It gets you
better answers."
Mike Philbrick '96 credits the "vast resources and abilities of the staff at
the Career Planning Center" for his own successful career placement.
"I spent spring break of my junior year working with Dr. Winters," Philbrick
recalls. "He helped me write my resume and cover letter and figure out how to
market myself.
"The assistance I received was as important as my degree," Philbrick concludes. "And
it was a lot cheaper than going on spring vacation with my friends."
Margaret LeRoux is a free-lance journalist
from Worcester.
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