As students at Purdue, we are fortunate to have access to the Center for Career Opportunities and large career fairs like Industrial Roundtable. The CCO offers career counseling, resume reviewing, and even hosts company interviews. The CCO is a great resource for when you are preparing for career fairs! Industrial Roundtable and other career fairs are the best way to network with company representatives and find an internship you might be interested in.
When you approach a company representative at a career fair you should introduce yourself and state your year and major. Remember to smile and be friendly! You should also mention any other internship experience at this point in the conversation. After that, you should ask a specific question. Even if the question is “What should be my next step if I am interested in contributing to XYZ Company as a summer intern?” you should ask it. It’s better to do some research on the company before the career fair and have a more specific question like “Could you tell me how would a summer intern might contribute to a project like XYZ?” Make sure to bring a few copies of your resumes because the company rep might want to take a look while you are talking to them!
Most companies have online applications, but some offer on-campus interviews in the days following the career fair. If they offer you an interview, you should print additional resumes and prepare a list of references for your interviewer (professors, former employers, academic advisor, etc.).They might not take the list of references, but offering one looks professional. You should always dress business professional for interviews (for women: dress pants, blazer with a nice shirt, and dress shoes). Let’s say that your interview went well and a few weeks after your interview you get an offer letter. Yay!
After you have accepted a position, the most important thing to remember is that it’s a test run for the real thing. When a company offers you an internship, they gain a summer-long interview to see if you’d be a good fit for their company. Are they a hard worker? Do they get along with team members? Do they have a positive attitude? You should look at an internship the same way! Throughout your summer you should be asking questions and gathering information to help you decide if this is a company you could see yourself working for long-term. Do I enjoy doing this work? Where could I be in this company 5 years after graduation? What could I be working on?
On your first day, there might be some confusion about company dress code. Most companies have a dress code or general guidelines that they follow. The last company that I worked for has a business casual policy and requested that if ladies wore dresses or skirts that they fall below the knee. One example of a business casual outfit would be flats, dress pants, a button down collared shirt, and a cardigan. Keep in mind that it’s always better to be more conservative and more formal on your first day until you can assess what other women are wearing at your company.
Throughout your internship, keep a positive attitude and face challenges head-on. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or get clarification when you need it. It’s better to do quality work after asking a lot of questions than to turn in sloppy work that needs to be redone. Most companies will provide you with a mentor that will answer your questions and help you throughout your summer. If you aren’t assigned an official mentor, find an unofficial one! Everyone at the company wants you to succeed as an intern and the majority would be happy to answer questions or help you in any way they can.
Good luck!
Mariah Schroeder, WIEP Upperclassmen Mentor
Senior, Civil Engineering
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