With the end of the winter semester nearing, many students are seeking internship and job opportunities to support themselves through the summer. With job opportunities limited in the Marquette area, many students are turning to internships for paid positions and college credit.
Chris Leffler, a senior marketing major, interned at Wal-Mart last summer. Leffler said that if you start looking for internships early in the year, you are more likely to get the internship that you want.
“There are only so many in the area,” he said. “Make sure you choose one that’s in your degree area so you’ll get job experience, as well.”
Leffler described his internship as just like getting a supervisor position at the store, with similar responsibilities.
“I would spend a few days learning each of the three parts of the store: personnel, operations and merchandise,” he said. “I was pretty much treated like a member of management from my first day there.”
Leffler is one of many students on campus who decided to utilize the internships that are offered to NMU students, gaining class credit and real world experience for their effort. Internships can be included as experience on resumes and some of them include monetary compensation for the work done.
John Frick, director of the JOBSearch Center, said students shouldn’t try to plan internships at the last minute.
“I think that students aught to plan on how they’re including internships into their academic careers,” he said. “They should start thinking about internships during their sophomore year, so they have more time to get themselves ready and get their resume ready.”
Frick said he suggests looking at the JOBSearch Center Web site for listings of internships available to NMU students this summer. The internship listing is under the ‘Students’ tab on the main page.
“It’s not difficult to find internships at all,” Frick said. “The issue that NMU graduates or students face is distance. If the company you’re looking at is in Grand Rapids, NMU students have to get their information in the hands of the employers. Other schools are closer and the students at those schools will be looking at the internships, too.”
Besides the JOBSearch center’s Web site, though, Frick said that there were other opportunities to discuss internships with employers.
“The majority of employers that come to the NMU summer job fairs also offer internships,” he said. “When you go to one, talk to the people there about internships as well as full time employment.”
One company that is close to NMU and offers internship opportunities to students is Marquette General Hospital (MGH), one of the largest employers in Marquette County.
Most companies plan the internships they offer, but MGH has too many different departments and specialties to approach internships in that manner. Dan DeRosia, the hospital’s Director of Employment, said he suggests that students decide what department or job situation they would work best in and discuss internship opportunities with the manager of that section of the hospital.
“Why should we use the time, energy, and input to make this internship work?” he said. “[Students should] provide the manager of their department some written information about what kind of internship they’re looking for, a vision for what it means to have an internship. If they have some kind of ‘special project,’ tell the manager how this will be a benefit to our organization.”
Students who are not looking for specialized internships may also find several job opportunities in the area. Any student with a specific type of job in mind might consider applying MGH. The hospital sometimes looks for summer employees, according to DeRosia.
“We offer employment to a wide range of educational specialties, and we cover a lot of what NMU has to offer,” DeRosia said. “When you think of a hospital, you think of doctors, nurses, and someone’s got to cook, and each one has specific education and experience. Some jobs don’t require any of that, and we have something in the neighborhood of 300 different job descriptions in the hospital.”
Although MGH offers short-term employment opportunities, DeRosia said they are more interested in hiring people long-term.
“Many of our jobs take a lot of time to train for,” he said. “They’re complicated, and we provide the training, but then we’d like service beyond orientation, and usually for more than just the summer.”
Nursing students are perhaps the most likely to apply for positions at MGH. Rachael Kramer, a junior nursing major, has applied there for a summer position.
“I have applied at Norlight Nursing Center, MGH, a daycare center, a couple of baby-sitting jobs, and a couple of restaurants,” she said. “I don’t really have too many requirements. Minimum wage would be lowest I would work for, but I want a full time job, even though I’m willing to do a few part-time jobs if I have to.”
Kramer said that she has been nervous this summer because of rumors about a tight job market. She hopes that the variety of places that she’s applied to will mean that she gets at least one good job.
“This job search is a little more stressful than in the past, now that I’ve signed a lease. I’ve never been so pressed to get a job,” Kramer said.
The variety of applications might be in Kramer’s favor. There is a variety of jobs available this summer to students, according to Frick.
“The City of Marquette will post jobs some summers,” he said. “Frosty Treats on third does as well. Bay Cliff health in Big Bay will hire a number of students every summer. There’s always a wide range of opportunities for students.”
One of the companies that advertises openings on the JOBSearch Center website is Kentucky Fried Chicken of Marquette. Scott Harrington, General Manager of the store, said that he usually had a lot of positions available to college students for the summer.
“Mostly I get a lot [of students] who work fall and winter and leave for the summers,” Harrington said, “but I do get quite a few who work just over the summer.”
Harrington prefers to fill these positions with college students, rather than high school students looking for their first job.
“I advertise at the JOBSearch board because college students have usually had a job before,” he said. “I just look for someone who is friendly and outgoing, but if they’re already trained, it’s great. And we offer free meals to employees.”
Resources on campus like the JOBSearch Center are a place to start for anyone who is looking for summer employment or internships. Utilizing the network set up by the university is one way for students to get summer employment or a jumpstart on future careers even without the experience and skills required by most employers.
