Sometimes a Bachelor’s degree and a 4.0 GPA aren’t enough to land a job, especially in this economic climate.

To stand out amongst those piles of resumes, experience is vital. That’s where the A&S Careers Program comes in, and they’ll even get you school credit.

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Sometimes a Bachelor’s degree and a 4.0 GPA aren’t enough to land a job, especially in this economic climate.

To stand out amongst those piles of resumes, experience is vital. That’s where the A&S Careers Program comes in, and they’ll even get you school credit.

The A&S Careers Program provides focused services from beginning to end for all 18 departments in Buchtel College, including career path advising, document preparation (e.g. resume, cover letter, etc.), mock interviewing and internships.

One of the more important of all the services we provide is the practical, hands-on internship experience, said Jo Anne Stewart, assistant director of the A&S Careers Program. An on-site position in a field of interest offers the student insight into whether or not a particular field can become a viable career path.

In some professions, like medicine and architecture, an internship is required to land a job. In others, it can help distinguish applicants from their competition. In some cases, an internship may even allow job seekers to bypass the first-rung-on-the-ladder job in favor of something more interesting that might come with a higher salary.

An internship also provides basic information about a professional work setting while expanding an individual’s networking base, which can be beneficial in both future graduate school applications and employment searches, said Stewart.

Multiple internships can help students narrow their focus regarding possible career paths, said Stewart. We have had interns in as many as three placements during different semesters of their academic career where they worked under different titles doing varied duties and developing numerous new skills not learned in the classroom.

Knowledge is power, and the diversity of knowledge gained through one or more internship can aid in moving a graduating student to the front of the employment application line – especially during troubled economic times.

Dr. James Egan, a professor in The University of Akron English Department, founded the A&S Careers Program in the 1980’s to help English majors find jobs. During the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, Egan expanded the program to serve all 18 departments in Buchtel College.

Internships offered by the A&S Careers Program vary in description and location. Some internships are available on the UA campus, but locations range from Cleveland to as far south as Columbus.

Stewart said that participating in an internship is more about learning a business skill, but that it also aids in the development of self-confidence, which is necessary to nail an interview.

The A&S Careers Program is located in Olin Hall 325. They are open Monday – Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are available by appointment on Fridays. To schedule an appointment, call 330-972-5714 or e-mail at [email protected].

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