Internship Home Page

Spring 2008 Interns
Front: Commong Herr, Erika Little & Linda Maack Back: Christy Harvey, Pam Lengyel, Brett Bernhardt & Darrell Rivers Not pictured: Anne Hemphill & Tyler Davis
Fall 2007 Interns	Summer 2007 Interns
Front : Elizabeth Hernandez, Helen Popan, Linda Maack Back : Abigail Lanning, Dede Starnes, Darrell Rivers, Chima Okora	Front : Wesley Powell, Tripp Davis and Amber Tolbert Back :  Ellison Lor, Seth Prevette and Trey Godwin

In a recent Newsweek Online Forum the following question was asked and answered:

"I'm graduating from business school this spring.  Any job advice?" (Boston)

Judith Briles (CEO, The Briles Group, consulting firm)
"If you haven't already secured an internship within your chosen field, do so now.  Take any internship; forget about being paid.  You are after two things: experience in your field and the opportunity to check out/hook onto a potential employer.  Your connections, and your connections' connections, will be the hot ticket to get you in the door for job interviews."

Advantages of Internships

Career Advancement

• Build up your resume.

• Confirm your career decision and major.

• Explore career tracks within your line of work.

• Experience different work cultures.

• Gain a competitive advantage over noninterns.

• Develop a network of business contacts. Studies have found that interns are more readily employed after graduation.

Academic Advancement

• Acquire beneficial insights that the classroom experience cannot provide.

• Acquire applied on-the-job skill by applying the theory studied in the classroom to a work setting.

• Return to the classroom better able to value what you are learning.

• Communicate internship experiences with classmates and professors.

• Use the company’s contemporary technology.

• Increase you post internship grades; studies show that grades improve after completing an internship.

Professional Growth

• Expand oral and written communication, teamwork, and leadership skills.

• Cultivate present and expand additional professional skills.

Personal Development

• Gain self-confidence.

• Gain motivation to continue to learn.

• Discover your strong and weak points.  

• Expand skills essential to cooperate and interact with a diverse workforce.

Note from a Recent Snipes School of Business Graduate:

"I moved to Dallas , TX and got a job with Sears in a big high rise.  I have my own office and they started me off with a nice salary ($45k) plus bonuses.  I wanted to let you know that the only reason I was able to get this job was due to my internship at CommScope my senior year and my two years at Bank of America.  Companies these days want people with at least two years experience, and there are more people out here looking at the same job than you really think.  I wanted you to know so you can stress to your students how important it is for them to find an internship and work hard everyday at it, and to maybe find a part-time job in some business field (even if they only work two days a week!).  It gives you something to put on your resume and also a good business reference.  CommScope did offer me a job, but I declined because I knew I did not want to stay in NC.  Well hopefully you will share parts of this with your students and other professors to help them get on the right path early, because it is not just about your GPA!"   Anna Crenshaw ,Class of '04