] SPECIAL EDITORIAL [
Internships Open Doors to Your Future Career:
Advice from HE&IT’s Most Admired Employers for Minority Professionals
W
hether they are in the manufactur- ing industry, software/IT, defense, or government, the top-ranking or-
ganizations in Hispanic Engineer & Information Technology magazine’s Most Admired Employ- ers for Minority Professionals 2009 survey all offer internship programs that provide students with opportunities to test their skill sets, expo- sure to real-world work environment and the support to build a network of peers and men- tors.
Many of the 70 employers on HE&IT‘s Most Ad- mired list also took part in a 2010 National As- sociation of Colleges and Employers’ Internship & Co-op Survey. 80 percent of the more than 880 employers interviewed between January 11, 2010 and March 5, 2010, said the primary focus of their internship or co-op programs is to feed their full-time hiring program. Among the respondents, approximately 92 percent expect to hire interns and co-ops in 2010. Overall, re- spondents expect to bring in 2.9 percent more interns this year than last, which is a significant turnaround from 2009, when the intern-hiring rate dropped by more than 20 percent.
Though engineering and computer science graduates have consistently topped employers’ hiring lists in recent years, internship experi- ence has been ranked as one of the most im- portant job candidate characteristics. More and more, employers are looking to the jobs gradu- ates have held in the past.
In a recent job outlook survey, more than three- quarters of responding employers said they prefer candidates with the kind of relevant work experience gained through an internship. In comparison, 16 percent said they were inter- ested in candidates with any type of work ex- perience, and 2.5 percent said work experience didn’t factor into their hiring decisions. In ad- dition to relevant work experience, employers have a fairly extensive list of skills, qualities, and attributes they seek in job candidates.
Hispanic Engineer & Information Technology magazine asked HE&IT‘s 70 top employers who recruit at annual Career Communications Group diversity career fairs to tell us why the intern- ship experience is crucial, what they look for in interns, what interns should bring to the table, what an internship can mean to employers and students alike, and how an internship can help you land that future full-time position.
8 HISPANIC ENGINEER & Information Technology | 2010 8 HISPANIC ENGINEER & Information Technology | 2010
Internships offer students the opportunity to apply the skills they’ve learned in the classroom to a work environment.
Internship programs give young people opportunities for personal, professional and social development, says a Xerox Students Careers representative. “In addition to attending Xerox technology workshops and presentations, our interns are involved in meaningful work assignments, manager and intern activities, networking events, and senior leadership roundtables, panels and presentations.”
Northrop Grumman Corporation pays close attention to its internship pro- gram, which expects to have approximately 1,000 internships this summer. Rachel Pressley, a corporate news bureau representative, says Northrop Grumman’s goal is to provide quality work assignments so that interns can apply the theories and prin- ciples learned in their college classes. In addition to their typical work day, Northrop Grumman provides various “lunch and learn” opportunities for interns to hear more about the company and its programs, and to network with other interns and hiring managers. “They also offer tours at larger campuses so interns can see first-hand some of our products and different work areas from their assigned department,” Pressley says. “Based on the feedback from previous interns, a hands-on opportunity to partner with our more senior engineers as well as ownership over a particular summer project contributes to an ideal internship experience.”
For the 2010 season, Raytheon Company has forecast 511 intern/co-op require- ments company-wide. “The forecast represents new needs, as well as those students returning to prior Raytheon intern/co-op positions,” says Sandra Beckett, a university programs manager in Raytheon’s Corporate Talent Acquisition.
As one-time intern David Rodriguez puts it, “An internship to a student means a foot in the door,” he says. “It’s an opportunity for experience in an industry of inter- est. Skills developed during an internship are invaluable, solid resume boosters, and will help when entering the job market. Internships also provide great professional networking opportunities, which will undoubtedly help an inexperienced young professional navigate to his/her goal.
www.hispanicengineer.com
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