Fall 2020 has been a unique semester. Students are taking classes and being advised mostly online and there have been major changes in the business world which are impacting how students interact with employers. One thing that has stayed the same, however, is the Williamson College of Business Administration’s commitment to students gaining paid, professional internship experiences. Internships are a core part of a WCBA education because they connect students’ coursework to real business activities and give them an idea of what their industry is like.
For Lena Angelilli, Michael Butch, Juliana Missos, and Megan Schmucker, many aspects of this semester were different than they imagined but continuing their education through internships was business as usual.
“The most rewarding part of having this internship is that I definitely see improvement in what I knew before versus what I know now. All the hands-on experience really helped me in class, and I have a better understanding of the subject matter,” says Julianna Missos, Business Administration, ’21, a sales coordinator at Sherwin Williams.
“The most rewarding part of having this internship is that I definitely see improvement in what I knew before versus what I know now.”
-Julianna Missos
Gaining this hands-on experience plays a big role in students feeling confident about what they are capable of. Michael Butch, Finance, ’21, is a financial services intern at Treloar & Heisel Wealth Management and has already gained skills that will help him beyond his internship, saying, “So far, I have learned how to deliver a financial plan to a client, how to talk to clients over the phone, and be a professional while assisting them with their needs.” Julianna learned that an internship can also provide opportunities to make a big impact in a business: “I build and maintain relationships with our customers, helping them organize their current and future paint projects. I’ve helped to successfully grow our store by $200,000 worth of new business by prospecting daily.”
Even though many businesses have their employees working virtually or on an abbreviated schedule, WCBA students are still gaining valuable skills that will carry them into future jobs. Virtual professionalism and collaboration, all-digital communication, and managing projects that are not in person will most likely be prevalent in many industries going forward. Megan Schmucker, ’21, a double major in Accounting and Finance who is interning at First National Bank, says, “I work from home 3 days a week and stay connected with my team using things like video calls and chats.” While Michael works in the office, he says not all of his coworkers are back in person yet and remain working remotely
Sometimes students have a hard time imagining what their careers will look like after their four years in the WCBA. This is where internships come in handy and fill in the gaps that simply can’t be covered through coursework, says Megan. “I think if you are genuinely trying to figure out your interests, an internship is a phenomenal opportunity. It can be hard to spend four years studying something, only to find out at your first job that you actually hate it.”
Students not only learn while being paid, but they also make discoveries about themselves. Lena Angelilli, Supply Chain Management, ’21, is a logistics intern at the J.M. Smucker Company and is enjoying her work because, “this experience gave me confidence that I’m going down the right career path for me.” Megan is having a similar experience at First National Bank, saying, “I’ve discovered how much of an interest I have in finance and accounting, as well as analytics, and IT. This internship has also allowed me to explore things programming and to gain an understanding about what my day to day work life might look like.”
“This experience gave me confidence that I’m going down the right career path for me.”
– Megan Schmucker
There are many ways that students can learn about and apply for internships, but Lena says that LinkedIn was the best source she used. “I found out about this internship on LinkedIn and I think it’s by far the best resource for finding job postings and easily applying to them. I would recommend all students make a profile and use it.”
In addition to LinkedIn, students meet and network with employers at Meet the Employers Day, the WCBA career fair, planned by the WCBA Center for Career Management. Julianna gained her current internship from this event last fall through making a connection at the company while they were on campus. “The WCBA Center for Career Management was very helpful in guiding students to network with people. Definitely go to all the Meet the Employer Day events even if you’re not looking for a job, just so you can make connections, because you never know where that will get you in the future,” Julianna commented.
Meet the Employers Day went virtual this year and still connected dozens of employers with students looking for jobs and internships.
Besides coordinating Meet the Employers Day, the WCBA Center for Career Management supports business students throughout their YSU education by helping with career exploration, job and internship planning, mock interviews, resume and LinkedIn assistance, and networking advice. “I found out about my internship at Meet the Employers Day and by talking to my advisor in the WCBA Center for Career Management who recommended this company to me. The Center prepares students for internships and jobs by having mock interviews, as well as providing students with a list of employers that past students have worked with that they may be interested in,” says Michael.
You can learn more about the WCBA Center for Career Management and WCBA internships here.