If you’re looking for the internship opportunity of your dreams, then you won’t have to go very far. Many students start on the Internet, perusing the “top internship programs” listings in magazines like Business Week or Campus Grotto. Finding a good internship program match is very important, particularly in the upper level years because it’s very likely you’ll be offered a position if you apply yourself and work diligently. For many employers, the internship process is a way to groom prospective employees and weave them into the fabric of the company. Choosing an internship that suits your personality, interests and strengths will help with job placement tremendously when you graduate. Here is a list of the best programs in the nation.
Gen-Y workers are looking for day-to-day fulfillment from their careers. Securing a student internship from the Microsoft internship program is a dream come true for many. There are free beverages all day long, loads of creative tasks, sports teams, theater troupes, puzzle days, zoo discounts, flexible hours and a casual dress code. Interns will play a part in every facet of the company, visiting think tanks and labs, and also working on games, mobile applications, developer tools, business solutions and operating systems. With opportunities across the globe, there’s no telling where you’ll end up!
For the creative filmmaker/animator minds, nothing beats the internship program at Pixar. You’ll have to spend your first two years assembling a demo reel to submit to the company, but in your junior year of college you’ll be eligible to apply for the internship opportunity to assist in the production of a feature film! Pixar’s interns work with technical directors and contribute as full members of their technical team! Students work in developing programs, modeling sets and props, shading and illustrating, manipulating lighting effects, dressing sets, storyboard layout, rigging characters for animation and rendering the final digital shots to scan onto film. Interested applicants must have some experience using Linux or UNIX, programming languages like C, C++ or scripting languages like Tcl, Sh, Python or Perl. They should have some familiarity using 3D graphic programs like Maya, XSI or Lightwave and education in computer science, math, engineering and art. If you make the cut, Pixar has an unforgettable and meaningful job internship for you.
Genentech, one of Fortune’s “Best Companies to Work For,” offers an intensive internship program that runs for 10-12 weeks during the summer. Students will be placed into project teams related to research, development, manufacturing or business. Juniors majoring in physical sciences or chemical engineering are preferred. You will participate in an internship in San Francisco, Vacaville or Oceanside, California and you will also be paid. Eligible interns will even receive relocation assistance and jobs upon graduation. You will work on projects, career developing and networking in the field of your choice, such as Science, Medicine, Engineering, Computer Science, Law or Business. If biomarkers, genotypes, immune mediated diseases, molecules and cells are your thing, then Genentech is the place for you!
Thanks to Thomas Bronson for the article.
Getting into college is one thing; finding the right major is quite another and, in some ways, just as important. Modern college students seem to change their career choices (the major) several times before they finally pick one and hang with it long enough to graduate.
So, there is no reason to be concerned or alarmed if you can’t find the “perfect major” in your first semester. You have time, but too much time can be expensive and wasteful. The sooner you get on the right track, the sooner you will graduate and embark on your career.
Let’s look at some of the considerations — beyond your interests, past successes and apparent talents — which should be your focus as you evaluate your options. There is a wide variety of options from basic computer training, to a career as a paralegal, a degree in business administration or massage therapy training. The successful search for a major will require research and serious self-evaluation, but the major that fits your lifestyle and your goals is out there, waiting for you.
First, let’s consider what interests you the most. Is it money? Then some field that pays well will probably get your attention. Many students consider a pharmacy degree or a degree in psychology to be a better career path for a money consideration. But you may find that money is no substitute for other things in life: leisure time, challenge, travel, or family. The quest for money may actually frustrate your search for the things that please you most, or the things that give your life a fulfilling meaning. You have to pretty honest with yourself.
Second, you should be practical in your choice of major. Ask yourself, “Why did I decide to go to college in the first place?” Then, plan your course of study accordingly. If you are interested in acquiring knowledge and experience, then you may follow your primary interests into any field that attracts you. A number of students are interested in helping people so they become a dental hygienist, choose a career in criminal justice or a physical therapy degree. A college degree, no matter what the subject, can open many doors with many different labels.
If you enjoy reading and writing, getting a degree in English might be a logical choice for you. You may want to be a educator and elect to become a teacher . English majors, however, may find the job market very tight and somewhat unappealing — not as lucrative as a degree in business or computer science.
Third, if you are unsure about your interests or your true aptitudes, then you’re in very good company. Students are often discouraged from choosing a career plan early in life because the “possibilities are endless.” While that’s true, it is also true that time and money is not inexhaustible. So, your college experience can be a laboratory in which you experience many different subjects and practices. Chances are that the people who interest you most are involved in the fields that will interest you most, too. Keep your eyes open and your choices flexible, but not postpone your decision forever.
Finally, no matter what your choice, remember that you can always change your mind. Modern research tells us that most professionals will change the companies for whom they work several times. In fact, today’s college graduate may expect to change careers more than once, as technology, society and economies evolve.
Don’t worry about the competitive edge: today’s graduates share the same disadvantage when it comes to employability; they need experience. You can use your college days to get valuable experience in part-time work, internships, cooperative education, and study abroad opportunities. Each of these activities could be the key to finding the career path that interest and excites you the most.
You’ll get second chances, of course. If you attend graduate school, for instance, your career may take a completely different direction. For the moment, your objective should be to learn as much as possible about your world and yourself. Although, it is never too early to consider best graduate schools that are available in your chosen field of study. Once you graduate, the world will get more complex, and the price tag for study and learning will go up.
Now is the best time to try as much as you can without wandering aimlessly toward the unknown future. The odds are that your trip will not end exactly as you imagine, but traveling with confidence and an open mind will help you find pleasant traveling companions and take to you interesting places. Bon Voyage!
Thanks to Dewitt Shotts of Founder of Marketing Solutions Inc. which serves the proprietary school industry as a full service company for television, media buying, direct mail and hosts the site College & Career Source for the article. Article Source.
If you want to set up a tutoring program in a high school then a good approach would be to focus on peer tutoring. A lot of research has shown that students helping other students study can lead to very positive results. These positive results are particularly important during junior high and high school years, as much of a child’s future can be affected by the test scores that they are able to achieve during that time period. Setting up a tutoring system that works is easier said than done, however.
Research is the first step when creating a tutoring program. Administrators cannot suddenly decide to implement peer tutoring and expect it to work. Once the decision to explore the possibility of a peer tutoring system has been made, administrators should make the idea known to students and see what kind of response they get. This can be done during an assembly, through surveys or as an announcement at the end of classes. If there is a positive response, then the next steps can be taken for student peers to become English and/or math tutors, or any other subject.
The way peer tutoring programs usually work is through the pairing of students. Usually those in the top of the class, such as those getting A’s in certain subjects, will be assigned to work with students at the other end of the academic spectrum, such as those failing or struggling to maintain even C averages. Some schools have had great success by allowing the students to choose each other, and in some cases letting students advertise themselves as providing a tutoring service. Each school will need its own approach, and this can be determined again through proper research.
Payment is not always found in peer school tutoring programs, but it can provide positive results. Payment can be in the form of money, given to the student by the school, not the student being tutored; or it can be in the form of other types of rewards. This could be anything from cafeteria food to points that build up to be used in field trips. Without payment, these programs will only go so far. Maximum success will result from a financial investment made by the school.
The ultimate end of a well-run peer tutoring program is a group of students who have the satisfaction of helping others and being paid for their academic abilities, and a group of students who haven’t fallen through the cracks and are able to reach their own scholastic goals. This of course can be measured in the increase of grades and test scores by those receiving the tutoring, and by the feedback provided by both groups of students. Peer tutoring has a great chance of succeeding but the students involved will need the support of the adults in charge at the school.
Thanks to Beth Kaminski for the article.