Indiana University Southeast held the Career and Internship Fair on Thursday, Oct.15 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. as an opportunity to connect with and learn from around 36 companies and potential employers. The event provided an opportunity for students to experience interviewing and make connections with each employer. In addition, it allowed students to learn about various organization and internship opportunities, the company’s story, and gain advice. Internships are not only a wonderful way to learn, explore, and grow from real-world job experience.
Advice for students from employers about getting hired for a job or internship
Kyle Ellison, a Regional Sales Coordinator for Aflac, an Insurance company, said, “you should have a positive attitude and be a coachable person”.
If you a interested in working in Financial Services, Park Community Credit Union, a credit union that strives to help underserved communities, Park’s representative said, “get into a teller role and keep in mind that working in finance is very relationship drive therefore, it is very important to have great communication skills”.
Looking at a job in Higher Education, Elspeth Hayden, a Progra
m Manager for Environmental Resilience Institute said, “apply to internships and follow up and remember that the worst they can say is no.” Environmental Resilience Institute offers a workforce-development program, and according to the 2027 McKinney Climate Fellows Student Application they provide real-world, hands-on experience for undergraduate and graduate students. Those hired as fellows can expect to tackle climate, energy, sustainability, and community resilience projects across Indiana in businesses, non-profits, and loc governments.
Interested in Healthcare, Amanda Kempf, a recruiter at Baptist Health, recommends doing the “Nurse Extern Program” that provides “hands-on clinical experience with built-in opportunities for career growth. Participants work alongside nurses, nursing assistants, leadership, and allied health professionals, with the chance to shadow a variety of healthcare roles.” Baptist Health also provides the Nurse Residency Program, a 12-month program designed to give support to achieve the level of performance required. This program supports the transition to practicing nursing while promoting your critical thinking, problem solving, interpersonal and clinical skills.
Human Resources or Professional Services, Brianna Caswell, a marketing intern at Touchdown Business Solutions said, “listen to advice employers and professionals give you, they are usually talking from experience, it is recommended to have professional certifications, and it is important not be discouraged.” Lindsey Davis, a recruiter at LifeSpring Health Systems said for anyone interested in this field should “apply early, people often limit the amount of people they can accept”.
Those also interested in Human Services for both people and animals, Paws-n-Purrsist provides advocacy, wellness, and support for people and their pets. They help protect the human-animal bond when homelessness, domestic violence, hospitalization, substance use treatment, or other temporary emergencies make it difficult for someone to safely care for their pets. Suzanne Tolman, founder and president of Paws-n-Purrsist, said that “47% of people experiencing domestic violence won’t leave their relationship out of fear of their pet’s safety.” Paws-n-Purrsist offers support and care to the pet owner and pet, while keeping the pet safe while the owner works towards stability
If looking to get a job or internship it is advised to apply early and follow up, be coachable, be diligent, have a positive and eager attitude, and build connections. Employers repeatedly agreed that students should stay open-minded and go for it! If interested in applying for an internship or future career, resources are available and ready to help you succeed. You can also connect through the
