Internships Pave the Way to a Bright Future

You've almost got your degree and polished your resume. You bought that nice suit, showed up on time and nailed the interview. And yet - your phone isn't ringing with job offers. You lack experience.

A quick Internet search into what employers are looking for will lead to the same conclusion. But just how do you get experience while still in college? An internship, which may provide you with experience, contacts and even income, all while you are working on a degree, could be the answer.

"It's a win-win situation," says Hanna Pettersson, director of Cooperative Education Program at Valley College. "Employers find workers and the students gain valuable experience."

Valley's internships are available in almost every field imaginable - recent listings include clerical, architect assistant and even horticulture. These intern positions are provided by the LA Community College Districts e7 Interns Program. This program is helped by Propositions A and AA which created bonds to fund construction and renovation at each of the nine LACCD campuses.

"We solicit the contractors we hire and ask them to hire students as interns," said Michael Flores, outreach coordinator for the program. "The bond money goes back to our students and benefits our schools even more."

New jobs and internships are posted every day at the Cooperative Education office located in Bungalow 74. The internship program actually matches employers with students seeking experience in a particular field. Most of the interns are paid around $10 per hour with only 10 percent being unpaid and offering experience and credit hours only.

Students also earn college credit at Valley while they work - up to three units per semester if they intern in their field of study. Fewer credits are available for students that work outside their field of study.

In order to qualify for an internship, a student must be enrolled in at least six units at one of the nine LACCD colleges, complete an online application , and submit a resume and a faculty referral recommendation.

"We use the faculty referrals as a way to get to know the student and help find a good fit for both employer and intern," said Camille Leon, e7 program manager.

Finding the right fit is important according to program organizers . One of the most important aspects of interning is figuring out if that field is really how you want to spend your life.

"I've lived the life of a fireman. I know what the life is like," says Valley intern Sotero Cristerna. He interns with LA fire station number 96 in Chatsworth.

A job like firefighting seems exciting, but it requires long hours in a fire house preparing for something to happen.

In addition to learning what a particular field requires, internships provide networking. The company may not be able to hire its interns after their program ends but may refer them to another company in the same field. An internship will provide relationships to build on throughout the life of your career.

But it is the job experience that is most attractive to an employer. It is important that someone in your chosen field knows you, your work ethic and abilities.

Cristerna agrees. "I know that when I am interviewing for a fire fighting job, they are going to see that I have over 2,000 hours of experience, my EMT certificate, my degree and a referral from my post adviser. That's going to make me stand out."

For more information, visit the Cooperative Education office in Bungalow 74 or visit the e7 Interns website at http://e7studio.net.