Brendan Downes
News Editor
With the second half of the Easter semester approaching, underclassmen are finalizing their internship and work plans for the summer while seniors take their first steps into the dreaded “real world” or continue down a path of higher education. Although there are many opportunities for students, the importance of these opportunities may not be as apparent to underclassmen as they are to their upperclassmen peers.
According to Harvard Business Review, internships can be the catalyst for getting hired for young graduates: “93% of executives and 94% of hiring managers [indicated] that they would be more likely to hire a recent graduate who has held an internship or apprenticeship with a company or organization.”
If service is more of your thing, nonprofits have a similar attitude towards community engagement. The Review states, “employers at nonprofits say they are much more likely to hire recent graduates who have community-based or service learning experience.”
Work experience within your field of interest and the liberal arts education one receives from Sewanee inform and validate one another. As technology advances quicker than ever before, so does the value of student experience centered around critical thinking and discourse. According to Harvard Business Review, “80% of employers [agree] that all students need a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences… in the global knowledge economy, employer demand for graduates with a liberal education is growing.” The liberal arts education offers knowledge that improves intellectual outlooks on society and the natural world, consequently in a workforce concentrated on innovation. Liberal arts students and graduates can better conceptualize the importance of this technological innovation and its place relative to the world.
Although the deadline for Sewanee’s notable internship program ACE (A Career Exploration) has passed, members of the Career Readiness Staff emphasized that a handful of ACE internships have extended deadlines and to act quickly.
If you are an underclassmen just getting started, the ACE internship program is something to pay attention to as your Sewanee career progresses. Shanna Abramson, the Assistant Director for Employer Relations and Outreach of Sewanee’s Career Readiness Staff, described the ACE Program as “internships brought to our attention by alumni and/or Sewanee connections where the employer holds a specific spot for a Sewanee student.” In order to get help finding internships and career opportunities, you can schedule an appointment to meet with a member of the Career Readiness Staff. Likewise, the Career Readiness Staff helps students prepare for interviews, prepare cover letters and resumes, and whatever else a student may need to develop at the beginning of their career.
Alternatively, Handshake is Sewanee’s primary resource for connecting students with employers. Handshake provides students with jobs that appeal to their academic and recreational interests. Furthermore, Handshake is a straight-foward way to make both your academic and work experience known to a potential employer.
If one wants to spend their summer in Sewanee, there are a considerable number of work and internship opportunities on the mountain. Students can apply to work at the SEI (Sewanee Environmental Institute) Camp, the Sewanee Summer Music Festival, and the Young Writers Conference. Applications for these positions can either be found on Handshake or on the organization’s website. If you are only interested in staying on campus for an extra few days, you can apply to be a part of the “Sewanee Move Out Muscle Crew.” Applications will be available on Handshake in mid-March.