After taking some breaks to care for her family, Reneé is finally near the end of her Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies program with a focus on business management and communications.  To address gaps in her work history and lack of recent experience, Reneé decided to enroll in the IDST-4003 Internship and Research course. She realized that an internship experience relevant to her career goal of managing an office would complement her degree and make her a stronger candidate in her job search.  To prepare for her internship search, Reneé used the resources on the Career Services website and made an appointment with a Career Services advisor for a review of her resume.

At the start of her search, Reneé told a friend that she was seeking an internship where she could gain experience in office management.   Her friend put her in touch with the pastor of a growing church that was centralizing church operations by purchasing its own space after renting space at multiple locations.  The pastor needed help and Reneé needed an internship. It was a perfect match with the potential of turning into a full-time position. The consolidation of church operations created a number of learning opportunities including facility management, event planning and understanding colleagues’ different learning styles.  Reneé applied what she learned in her management and communications courses. She said, “I engaged in two-directional staff management (managing up and managing down) in creating a new set of office protocols.”  She also shared lessons learned from her internship in course discussions.   And yes, the internship became a full-time position!

It often seems like serendipity is at play in career progression, but for serendipity to work, we have to know what we want and let others know so they can help. A conversation with a friend about her search for an internship led not only to an internship but to a full-time position.  Renee’s advice is to evaluate what you need and reach out for help!

Here are some resources on the Career Services website to help you get started:

• Internships and Service Learning Resources  
• Volunteer Opportunities    
• Walden Service Learning Network
• Archived Webinars:

  Crafting Effective Resumes

  Strategic Volunteering for Career Success

  From Take-Off to Landing- Undergraduate Career Success

Written by Denise Pranke, Career Services Advisor