Career Advice

Students majoring in engineering or science-related fields have countless directions they can take their careers, from clinical work to research to manufacturing to corporate roles. With so many opportunities available, it’s not always easy to discern which professional path is the right one. But internship experiences, academic classes, and personal preferences can help uncover which direction a student should take their career after graduating.

For many college students, spring semester is prime job hunting season. But the outbreak of COVID-19 in the U.S. has complicated this process considerably, making it even more difficult for college students to navigate their job or internship search.

As the number of cases of the novel coronavirus continue to increase in the U.S., many colleges and universities across the country are switching to online classes, suspending events, and even asking students to vacate campus for the remainder of the semester to mitigate risk. While these changes are undoubtedly a major adjustment academically and socially, they also have a major impact on juniors and seniors who planned to lock down a job or internship during spring semester.

Internships are a great way to gain real-world experience while also exploring your career interests. However, not all internships provide the same level of professional development and growth, as it depends on how much a company invests in their program. Internships featuring things like professional development programs, mentorships, a robust company culture, and a focus on real work (not coffee runs!) are the internships to look out for. While those may seem few and far between, there are a ton of great companies across industries who are investing in their future workforce through internships. We rounded up 10 of those companies – read on to learn about what makes their internships stand out.

Choosing the right opportunity out of college is essential to establishing a long-term, upward career trajectory.

There are countless career options for liberal arts majors. A well-rounded education makes you an attractive candidate for positions that require strong communication skills, analytical thinking, and ability to learn, meaning you could be a great fit for a lot of different roles and companies.

If you want to optimize your chances of getting a great job or internship, it’s time to invest some time in your LinkedIn profile. Filling out the basic information on your profile is just the start – to stand out to employers and recruiters, you need to go the extra mile. Current university recruiter Daniel Shoch shares the best practices of filling out the different sections on LinkedIn to get your profile noticed by both recruiters and hiring managers.

If you’ve never taken an Econ or business class, would you ever think you could one day successfully run a business? For many liberal arts and STEM majors the answer is, unfortunately, no. Careers in management, leadership, or operations are often thought to require specific training, but in reality, students from all majors and backgrounds can grow into successful managers and executives.

When researching a job opening, your focus is often on the responsibilities of the job, the location, and how much it pays. While the what and where of a job is important, it’s also important to discover what makes up the company’s culture as you move through the interview process.