Wednesday, November 7, 2001

Opportunity Knocks
By Erin LaMourie
Staff Reporter

While many students have not made plans beyond winter break, Aimee Lavoie is already thinking about her summer. Her summer plans don’t include laying out on the beach soaking in the sun. Instead she is looking for the ideal summer internship. She is preparing her résumé and looking for the perfect opportunity that may appear.

Lavoie, a junior marketing and finance major, has already posted her résumé online. Now she is searching for interviews. She knows many employers value experience more than grades or course work. Lavoie is crossing her fingers to find the ideal internship, but she knows she cannot be too picky this year.

Nick McPhearson/Skiff Staff

Carolyn Ulrickson, director of Career Services, said there is a 30 percent decrease this year in the number of companies coming on campus to interview students.

Lavoie said she is afraid that finding an internship will be more difficult since fewer companies will be recruiting. Fewer opportunities will make students more competitive with each other if the number of internships are limited, she said.

Chuck Lamb, Neeley School of Business marketing department chairman, said students need to begin preparing now and start thinking about internships the same way they would think about finding a job. It is too early to determine exactly what effects the economy will have on jobs and internships but the effects may be felt by May or June, Lamb said.

Ulrickson said deadlines for internships vary, but for government internships, one of the largest groups that offer opportunities each year, deadlines are in February.
There may not be a need to worry about the availability of internships because that market may not be as heavily impacted as available jobs, she said. Most companies will continue to offer their internship programs because companies will fill in gaps left from employee layoffs with interns who would not require employee benefits, she said.

Lamb said there may even be an increase in the number of internships as companies try to become more cost effective.

Ulrickson said many students start searching for internships in March and do not realize they have already missed many deadlines.

Ulrickson said students should begin thinking about internships their junior year because they continue to be increasingly important and are sometimes required for a major.

“Companies want to see that experience with the job market,” she said.

Ulrickson said if students have not started looking at internships yet, the winter break should provide time to work on résumés and search for opportunities.

Lavoie is trying to stay aware of which companies are offering jobs and coming to campus for presentations. In the meantime, she is using Career Services as a resource.

“I am sure there will still be opportunities in late spring, but it may be more competitive for students because so many are competing for the internships,” Lavoie said.

Lamb said if student have not had experience in a particular field, it is hard to convince an employer that the student knows what they want to do in the company. Students who have had internships are more able to determine what specific area of their major they would enjoy working in, he said.

Ulrickson said students need to prepare their résumés and cover letters, practice job interviewing skills and begin finding ways to network.

Students need to make lists of people they know who can help them find opportunities because 80 percent of job vacancies are not listed and are filled by student networking, she said. A network can include friends of parents, parents of friends, church members and anyone else students can give their résumé to and refer them to potential employers.

Career Services located in the Student Center annex, offers resume assistance and interview coaching. Career Services also lists internship opportunities on their Web site, (www.cpl.tcu.edu).

Lavoie said she has used Career Services’ resources to help her create and distribute her résumé.

“It is difficult to work on getting résumés together and trying to find a job when the semester is coming to an end and group projects are due and I am trying to prepare for tests,” she said. “Career Services has been very helpful. They basically take care of everything. (I) pick a company I want to send my résumé to, and they send it for me.”

After a couple of trips to Career Services, Lavoie said she now feels prepared and is not worried about finding an internship or job.

“Business will always continue,” she said. “(Finding a job) may be more difficult and competitive. I need to do the right things now so that I have something to offer a company. With the things I am doing in college to prepare, I will hopefully be able to find something.”

Erin LaMourie
e.m.lamourie@student.tcu.edu