Fast Company: Work experience is important for students
UC professor offers advice for students seeking internships, co-ops
Gaining work experience while in college is important to students’ future career success, Fast Company reported.
The publication interviewed career coach and University of Cincinnati assistant professor Nadia Ibrahim-Taney. UC invented cooperative education more than 100 years ago and is ranked fourth in the nation for co-op and internships.
Students often don’t realize many companies start the summer internship process in October or November for the following summer, Ibrahim-Taney said, so it’s important to start searching for co-ops and internships early.
Ibrahim-Taney encouraged students to be active on LinkedIn, building a network of contacts, posting relevant content and searching for job and internship opportunities.
Working for smaller businesses can be a good option, Ibrahim-Taney said, as it’s likely they will offer more hands-on experience than at big firms.
Featured image at top courtesy of Unsplash.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
What are the long-term effects of expensive gasoline?
April 14, 2026
WVXU spoke with Debashis Pal on the impact of gas prices on lower-income households and the overall market.
OTR mural celebrates UC alumni innovation and impact
April 14, 2026
The UC Alumni Association (UCAA) will host its annual Alumni Celebration during Alumni Week, April 13-18, with a community art project commemorating this year’s slate of alumni honorees receiving the organization’s top awards. Taking place April 16 at the First Financial Center (Cincinnati Convention Center), the Alumni Celebration will recognize the 18 honorees for their individual and collective innovation and impact, and the resulting impact on their university, communities, and fields of endeavor.
Cincinnati Metro unveils $6.5 million revamp
April 14, 2026
The region’s largest public transportation agency is launching bus stop glowups across the county with the help of the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP).