During my time at Penn State people always stressed the importance of being involved. No matter what your interests are, use this time to cultivate them so you can figure out what you enjoy. While in school I wasn’t sure what I ultimately wanted to do, so I figured trying a bunch of different things was the best way to find out what I liked and what I was good at. In my case, volunteering and interning gave me a better sense of what I did not want to do. I interned for a local paper, a Congressman, and an HR department and realized these jobs were not for me. However, I still made great contacts and got a better sense of what these jobs truly entailed. Even though I did not want to pursue a job at any of the places I interned, I was able to obtain contacts and references that could speak to my work ethic and ability. Academically, I pursued a major in journalism and a major in psychology to broaden my potential career choices and to satisfy my interests.

My favorite experience at Penn State was interning at the Bank of America Career Services Center as a mock interviewer during my senior year. I got the chance to sit down with students and interview them before their real job or graduate school interview. Even though I knew I did not want to be a recruiter, I realized that I was an effective communicator and enjoyed working with people one on one. My involvement at the career services center helped me become better acquainted with my own skillset, in addition to all of the services offered to students. I utilized these services and took a personality test to assess my strengths, weaknesses, and potential job prospects. I met with a counselor to discuss my test results and review my resume.

During the fall semester of my senior year, I researched the employers attending the career fair. I looked at what majors they were hiring and looked out for any potential matches. It was tough to find companies interested in a liberal arts major, as I found most employers strongly leaned toward engineers and business majors. However, I attended the career fair to speak with my employers of interest and to hand out my resume. As I approached recruiters at the Career Fair I was able to articulate how my skillset transferred to the internship and volunteer positions I had previously held. I was able to elaborate on how these skills prepared me for a professional career. I ended up making a great connection with one of the recruiters from SRA International, a company that provides consulting services for clients within national security and civil government. In addition to this, I posted my resume on the Nittany Lion Career Network. I applied for a technical writing position at SRA and obtained an interview. I researched the company and went into the interview with an open-mind and a positive attitude. Following the second interview, I was offered a job that I have been at for the past three years.

Having internship experience and figuring out what my skills were helped me to eliminate options that were not for me. If you are interested in a certain job, obtain an internship or shadow someone so you can get a feel for the environment and what it takes to be successful. Being proactive opens so many doors down the road. There are a lot of opportunities available to gain valuable experience if you decide to make the effort and reach out. These experiences are vital when interviewing for prospective job position. Penn State offers amazing opportunities to intern or volunteer within any avenue of interest. Try new things, make connections, and stay positive. Most employers are looking for candidates with transferable skills and good attitudes. Those things are what make Penn State students a top choice among recruiters.