Sunday, June 29, 1997

Local universities can help students

By ALYSON WARD / Abilene Reporter-News

Good grades and high test scores were enough to gain acceptance into college, but for college graduates trying to land their first jobs, it takes more than that.

Employers are looking for applicants who have experience in their field, and the best way to get that experience is to complete an internship. But wanting an internship and finding one don't necessarily go hand in hand.

Help is available, however.

Students at the three universities in Abilene can go through their schools' career services offices for help finding the internships they need.

Jack Stewart, director of Career Services at Abilene Christian University, said internships are available in every field imaginable - but some of them are easier to find than others.

"A lot of people are limited in where they can go to do them," Stewart said. "So I guess geography is a prohibitor sometimes for people being able to find good internships. If you're from Abilene and you want to stay in Abilene for the summer, it's pretty difficult to find an internship."

Stewart said ACU has agreements with some employers that help students get internships. A major company in Dallas has agreed to hire up to 10 interns each year exclusively from ACU, he said, and at least five of those will be hired for permanent positions each year.

"Their company's grown so fast, they have a real dearth of management talent coming up," Stewart said. "So they're looking at that to supply them a major supply of their management talent in the coming years."

At Hardin-Simmons University's School of Business, an internship program matches qualified students with internships in their area of study.

"To be competitive now, (an internship) has really become essential for students," said Jeff Turner, associate dean of the business school who directs the program.

Turner said employers are looking for students who already have made "some sort of direct application of what they learned in class."

Business students are required to enroll in the program, he said, and the office establishes contact with employers. If an internship is available, the office places "the most interested and best student" in that position.

Once they have completed their internships, students get formal performance appraisals so they can get feedback from their employer about the work they did.

At McMurry University, students can go through their departments to help them find positions. The Career Services Office is a backup resource; if students need more help finding internships, they can contact the office for assistance.

Licia Hughes, the director of McMurry's Career Services, said students usually have to make an effort to search for internships.

"We have employers call here and say, 'We need an intern'," Hughes said, but more often it's the other way around.

Hughes said about half of McMurry students who complete internships are later hired by the same businesses.

"A lot of times, the student does so well in the internship that the employer makes a place for them," she said. "If it's really set up right, then it really is a good situation for both parties."

HSU's Turner said employers often use internships to recruit employees, and he's seen plenty of students get their first job offers from their internships.

"Statistics are showing that more and more companies are developing intern programs as part of their recruitment strategies," he said.

Stewart, Turner and Hughes all deal with both students and employers. They can see internships from both perspectives, and they all agree that internships are crucial steps in turning college graduates into members of the workforce.

"We think it is an integral part of a college education," Turner said.

He said HSU's internship program encourages students to have "at least four over the course of their academic career." This way students can get experience in several different areas, which allows them to decide which duties they enjoy most.

"It kind of solidifies their decision," McMurry's Hughes said.

Stewart said even though internships give students a good idea of what to expect, a few months of work won't teach a student everything.

"You at least get to experience it for three months," he said. "But I still don't think that's any guarantee that you're going to like it if you do it for two or three years and find out all there is to know about it."

Turner said sometimes students are surprised once they get into their internships, but that's better than being surprised later on.

"You think you know what the field is like - you think you know what you're going to do," he said, but sometimes that changes.

"They get a sense of what the job really is," he said.

Employers agree that students who start learning about their careers early are better off in the future.

Ken Shira, a partner with Condley and Company, certified public accountants, said interns are getting a good head start.

"An intern realizes the difference between school and work and is trying to bridge that gap," he said.

The local universities assist students in finding their places after graduation.

Stewart said all students should be able to find an internship, as long as they are flexible about location and were willing to "exert the effort that's required."

"Sometimes it's just a matter of effort," he said. "But that's no different than finding a permanent job."

Even though the universities provide help with locating internships, Stewart said, what students learn about looking for a job is as valuable as what they learn once they're hired.

"I think it's good experience," he said. "You realize this is what it's going to be like a year from now when the real world comes knocking at your door."