Having the competitive edge

By Jessica Walendukanis
Courier Staff

When it comes down to getting hired, who is going to get the job: 1) the candidate who has relevant work experience or 2) the candidate who has none at all?

Most likely, the job offer is going to the individual with relevant work experience.

On the official Illinois State University (ISU) website, Allen Wutzdorff, executive director of the National Society for Experimental Students, said that internships give students the competitive edge when seeking employment.

“Quality internships can result in immediate as well as long-lasting benefits to students,” said Wutzdorff.

The experience gained through an internship equips students for a careers by enhancing their abilities to practice skills used in most jobs, commented Wutzdorff.

Some of the most important skills needed in a job cannot be taught, but are mastered through trial and occurrence.

“My internships have helped me connect the information I’ve learned in classes with real world experience. Both internships challenged me and I feel more prepared to start my career after graduation,” said Monmouth College senior Olivia Heaton.

As well as gaining work experience, connections can be made with future employers.

“The network created through internships greatly increases a student’s marketability and gives him/her a competitive edge in an intense job market,” explained April Bell, author of “Internships Spell Success,” an article found on the ISU education website.

According to Jim Weaver, author of the article “Internships Give College Students an Edge,” colleges have responded to the situation of employers wanting job candidates to have experience, and for the past decade have offered some form of internship program to their students.

Here at Monmouth College, many students receive assistance in locating and applying for internships through the Wackerle Career and Leadership Center.

Students planning on entering an internship for credit or not for credit or just interested in learning more about internships can attend a Wackerle Center presentation, “Getting the Internship Advantage,” on Wednesday, April 5 at 4 p.m. in the Morgan Room.

The program will cover information about beginning the search and application process. Students will also have the opportunity to have their internship questions answered.

“Help with the internship process is one of the most requested services through out center,” explained Michelle Shawgo, director of the Wackerle Career and Leadership center.

“Students are not quite sure where or how to begin the search and application process,” Shawgo said. “They come to us seeking a little decision making.”

In a recent study done by the Art and Science Group, students rated internships as the most important activity they could choose in college, after academics.

The Art and Science Group is one of the nation's most influential consulting firms specializing in market-related issues facing higher education and the non-profit sector.