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.
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