By their senior year, most students at Loyola will have held at least one internship, often more. They will have tested the professional waters, gained perspective, formed relations and developed skills that will benefit their future. Generally, these are enjoyable experiences that verify or redirect one's career path.
"An internship is a great way to test drive a career without really any consequences," assistant career center director Anneli Spielman said. "It's a mistake not to do one. The job market is very competitive, and just because you have a B.A. isn't going to get you a job. "
These experiences expose students to the field they pursue and the contact with mentors will indicate to students whether they will need an advanced degree.
Junior philosophy and history major Mario Palestini interned at Tour-Sarkissian Law offices in San Francisco last summer, and feels encouraged to study law because of his experience.
"It's a lot of work, but I met several attorneys and judges in various aspects of the law," Palestini said.
Different majors necessitate different internships.
"Some departments have very rigid programs and require internships, whereas other departments are looser and depend on chair requirements," Maureen Smith said, who compiles internship and post graduation statistics on employment and graduate degree pursuits for Loyola's career center.
While Loyola does not have pre-med or pre-law majors, students on these tracks often pursue their Master of Arts degree directly after receiving their undergraduate degrees.
"An internship at the Center for Faith Based Initiative in Washington [D.C.] last summer solidified my career choice and reinforced my decision to pursue law," senior political science major Colleen Morey said.
Internships like Morey and Palestini's cultivate perspectives that will enhance the classroom atmosphere many graduate professors seek.
"Some of my students have gone, after working a couple of years, back to grad school," assistant career center director Joe Reeves said. "[Internships] are experiences in a person's field of interest that solidifies, or turns them off, or leads them to something else that excites them."
Eric Larson, a student in Loyola's graduate applied social psychology department, has experience in hands-on work.
"You need some research experience to get into any decent grad school," Larson said. "I've done everything from clerical work to actually administering projects."
However, internships and grades are not the sole criteria to get into the graduate program of a students' dreams.
"Grad schools look a lot more at GPAs," Speilman said. "Anything other than that, like internships, or involvement in clubs, is going to be the icing on the cake."
Dedication to polishing these aspects distinguishes undergraduates with graduate school in sight from those seeking to join the workforce immediately after graduation. While these goals may seem overwhelming, most college advisers will say that rather than committing oneself to the impossible, the best way to succeed professionally is to maintain a healthy balance between character development and academic portfolios.
Loyola has two internship and career centers. At the Lake Shore campus, the office is in Granada Centre, Room 217. The Water Tower campus offices are in the lobby of the 25 E. Pearson Building. Both offices offer regular walk-in hours of 1-3 p.m. Monday -Friday, and more by appointment. For more information, visit www.luc.edu/resources.
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