{"id":6991,"date":"2022-10-20T14:07:06","date_gmt":"2022-10-20T19:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/coba\/?p=6991"},"modified":"2022-10-20T14:07:06","modified_gmt":"2022-10-20T19:07:06","slug":"why-internships-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/coba\/2022\/10\/20\/why-internships-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Internships Matter"},"content":{"rendered":"
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COBA Alums who work at Southwest Airlines recently came to discuss internship opportunities at the company with COBA students. Pictured from left to right are Chris Grubbs (’95), Kristy Ng (’20), Baron Smith (’09), Bethani Culpepper (’19), and Katie Coldwell (’00).<\/p><\/div>\n

Written by special contributor Lance Fleming<\/p>\n

When the College of Business Administration (COBA) unveiled the most significant changes to its curricula in <\/span>decades, one area of great emphasis was professional development. Those studying the updates and later making the recommendations believed a professional internship would help make COBA students more well-rounded prospective employees when they left ACU.<\/p>\n

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As <\/span>Dr. Brad Crisp, the Dean of the College of Business Administration said recently, \u201c… we are placing greater emphasis on professional development by requiring a professional internship in management, marketing, and information systems and offering an internship as an option for accounting and finance majors.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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As the person serving as the director of professional development and internships for COBA, Jasmine McCabe-Gossett said the new emphasis on internships will help make students better equipped to handle real-world practices that they will face when they begin working full-time.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cStudents need to take advantage of the unique timing internships can offer,\u201d said McCabe-Gossett, who is in her\"\" first year as the Professional Development and Internship Director for COBA. \u201cStudents have the distinct opportunity to apply what can feel like abstract theories and case studies to the real world. Internships are insulated and allow students to practice in an environment designed for them to ask questions and fail, whereas, post-graduate opportunities can be far less forgiving.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Tim Johnston, the Assistant Dean for COBA, said a student who participates in an internship program in college will have a distinct advantage over students who don\u2019t take advantage of those programs.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cMany years ago, with the contraction of the economy, many students were entering college without a lot of summer work experience,\u201d Johnston said. \u201cOne of the top qualities all employers like to access is work ethic. Without a lot of work experience, it was difficult to feel confident about a student’s ability to dig-in and work hard. Many large organizations started internship programs.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThese programs typically run for 12 weeks during the summer,\u201d he said. \u201cMost are paid and it\u2019s a way for a company to have a long and intense look at the candidates. Many companies only offer full-time opportunities to those students who have completed an internship with their organization. So for many large firms, this is the path into their company.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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When a student is looking for an internship, COBA Associate Dean Andy Little said one thing stands above all when he advises a student on a potential position.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cFit,\u201d he said succinctly. \u201cIn other words, does this organization fit your values and the goals you have set for yourself? Will you get practical experience? What kind of people work there? Is it an industry or market segment that you would like to start your career in?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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McCabe-Gossett agrees that finding an internship in a potential career field is an essential part of finding the right landing spot.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI encourage students to focus on finding an internship in the industry they imagine as their future career,\u201d she\"\" said. \u201cDoing so will allow them to fully immerse themselves so they can determine whether or not their dream industry aligns with their values, work style, etc.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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The National Association of Colleges and Employers has surveyed employers and determined the following qualities are most important to the potential employers surveyed. In order of importance, those qualities are:<\/span><\/p>\n