Do you have to have an internship experience to be competitive in the job market?

You are competing with hundreds of job seekers for positions. Having hands-on career-related experience gives you the advantage over students without such valuable experience.

Underclass students:
Choosing an internship over your summer bartending position may leave you with less spending money, but the benefits of taking a lower paying or volunteer internship far outweigh the monetary loss for one summer. Gaining hand-on skills that employers seek will put you ahead of the competitors. Take the time to find an internship.

Seniors:
If you, for whatever reason, have not had an internship and are graduating, don't think of this as a mark against you. You may have been involved in opportunities that have allowed you to gain similar hands-on career related experience. Think about your classes. Have you been involved in research or projects? Pulling out the skills used and developed from these experiences might be a way to sell yourself. How about leadership or volunteer activities? Can you create a section on your resume highlighting the skills gained from those activities? Check out our Resume Examples or stop in to have a career intern help you with spicing up your resume. Career interns are available daily during our walk-in hours.

Some helpful links:

1. Resume & Cover Letter Writing
2. Internships
3. Internship Listings
4. MU Career Manager