The standard backwards hats and polka-dot pajama bottoms normally seen traveling through the Quad turned into neatly pressed skirts, suits, and ties as students of all classes attended the annual Career Center’s Internship Fair, on Tuesday.
The fair played host to a variety of companies and corporations, ranging from WCVB Boston to the United States Office of Investigations – a lineup that was intended to cater to a variety of disciplines, Career Center officials said.
“About two-thirds of the companies and businesses we invite are actually geared towards arts and sciences majors,” said Russ Ventura, assistant director at the Career Center. “The other third entail business majors.”
Many internships, such as those offered by the U.S. Office of Investigations, required no specific major. Other companies, such as New England Home Magazine, offered multiple internships for both business and writing oriented students. Jane Driscoll, sales coordinator for New England Home Magazine, said the publication offers such opportunities to attract a variety of students.
Whether the business was geared towards communications, writing, or marketing, one thing remained constant – employers’ views on the importance of internships in today’s world.
“Internships are the best way to network in today’s fast-paced world,” Driscoll said. “Students can gain valuable experience, and prepare themselves to enter the workforce come graduation. Today’s market being so tough, internships are like a step ahead of the rest when it comes to applying for a position.”
Lauren Palmer, assistant director of learning and development for Harvard Business School Publishing, said that while internships can give students an edge on the competition, they can also help students narrow down their interests. “Internships help rule out what you do not want to do, from what you do want to do,” she said, a vital tool in preparing for the future.
Jenn Adams, of New TV, said that the networking aspect of internships is crucial in landing a job after graduation. “Contacts are of vital importance, and interning can go a long way in the business world.”
The students in attendance ranged from seniors to freshmen, varying in fields of interest. Mary Brinkopf, A&S ’11, said she came to the fair with no set agenda but that she had researched all of the opportunities that had aroused her interest and went to explore and mingle with employers.
Kevin Woo, A&S ’11, said he arrived at the Internship Fair looking for those businesses that allowed him to gain some hands-on experience in his passion for legal studies and the government.
Despite the economic recession, Ventura said that he has been able to maintain a steady number of business representatives, and that the Career Center tried to find businesses for all walks of students to arouse the interests of the entire Boston College community.
However, more and more internships have been forced to stop paying their interns. Debbie Celado of Partners Health Care System said, “Internships give a student the necessary experience and contacts to succeed in the business world.”
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