BUILD AND EXPAND YOUR EXPERIENCE BY:
Applying to Internships are valuable learning experiences and can be a strategic way to grow within a company to obtain a permanent position after graduation. Internships involve a wide range of business activities within many types of organizations: start-ups, small to large companies, government agencies, and nonprofits. In addition to full-time summer internships, internships are available throughout the academic year. They can be 10 to 20 hours per week, offer an hourly wage (or stipend), can offer a flexible schedule, and typically last about three months.
Explore micro-Internships as another avenue to gain experience. Micro-Internships are short-term, paid, professional assignments that typically range from five to 40 hours of work, and can be completed remotely. Check out Parker Dewey for more details.
Joining the Mentor Program. The Professional Mentor program matches both undergraduate and graduate business students, with industry professionals for a full year of engagement and mentorship. Click here to submit the Interest Form
Joining the Mentor Program. The Career Mentor programs match both undergraduate and graduate business students, with industry professionals for sixth months of engagement and mentorship. Learn more on the mentorship webpage.
Exploring Job Simulations. Practice your skills with example tasks and build your confidence to ace your applications through Forage. You can complete tasks in a self-paced module to explore different industries and positions and earn a certificate and add it to your LinkedIn profile as an extra curricular. No applications or experience required. Learn more here.
Joining a Student Organization. Gain leadership and networking experience through PSU student organizations. Groups are organized by industry, job function, or interest and you can plug into an existing group or start a new one.
Gaining Research Experience through the PSU McNair Scholars Program. The PSU McNair Scholars Program works with undergraduates who are first-generation and low-income, or are under-represented that want to pursue graduate or doctoral studies. McNair scholars conduct research under the supervision of faculty mentors. They become competitive candidates for doctoral programs. If the McNair program isn't a fit, we encourage you to reach out to your business faculty and see if they have research opportunities you can participate in to gain experience.
Practicing with Mock Interviews. Interviewing for jobs can be intimidating and we want you to be as prepared as possible. The School of Business Career Center offers the opportunity to practice your skills in a few formats, including mock-interviews with real recruiters, mock phone interviews, private, one-on-one in-person mock interviews, or a private one-on-one videotaped Zoom interview with your career coach, so you can review it immediately afterward. Click here to connect with your career coach.
Networking & Learning through Informational Interviews: Informational interviews are a valuable networking tool that will allow you to learn about career paths and build relationships. The focus of these conversations is to learn more about the person’s role, their organization, and their path to the position rather than to obtain a job offer. Your career coach will guide you on how to secure informational interviews, how to make the most of them, and how to use them to build a broader professional network. Sometimes, your Career Coach can even make an introduction on your behalf.