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Internships can shape a student’s future
by Alice Bergman, Director of Career Services

Internships, internships, internships!

. . . . is the mantra of Reed’s career services office. According to the National Association of Colleges & Employers’ Job Outlook Survey 2001, 25 percent of employers surveyed indicated that their new college hires come from within the organization’s internship program, 55 percent of responding employers indicate that new college hires have internship experience, and 64 percent of the employers say they pay new, permanent, full-time hires with internship experience an average of 8.9 percent more than their inexperienced counterparts. Internships are valuable experiences for building skills and helping the student determine “what’s next” following graduation. They can enhance the academic experience. Many students intern between their junior and senior year.

Career services actively supports internships by:

  • increasing outreach to freshmen and sophomores, encouraging them to think about internships early.
  • providing internship workshops throughout the year.
  • developing an outreach program to employers to provide internship opportunities.
  • belonging to a consortium of 20 other liberal arts campuses coast to coast who share internship information, giving Reed students access to thousands of internship options where liberal arts students are sought.

How can you as a parent help?

  • by encouraging your student to intern.
  • by posting internship opportunities that your organization offers. (We would also appreciate full-time postings as well).
  • by joining the parent volunteer network. This allows us to give a student your name and contact information. Informationalinterviews can help the student gain exposure to people and settings where they might want to work, develop a rapport with someone who can hire them or help them get hired, and learn the culture and vocabulary of that particular company or field.

Let us know if you would like to help: send me an email at alice.bergman@reed.edu or call 503/788-6698.

More information about internships can be found at the career services
website, or visit the career services office at Greywood. Internship information sessions are held there monthly.