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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 4, 2002)
M, ' HE BATTa nits H from page| ' on s ‘*id. "WK. £ ,h «ngs todov l)r > to the five - c °im, six la, r °ngful deadly \\ students injif . have been Aggielife The Battalion Page 3A • Wednesday, September 4, 2002 a federal jud emoved A&V administrai in the federal District Judfc \ A \1 was put; lent inmiuni! | ions of Utavrl ued in the h. »the level of i rencc as . w. I niven.ii) oe- anger the E- but were not i| lapse. The j ■‘nt leaders»; companies ^ ! : to Kent s v ms includedrM nts may be t® nts’ lamiltr c decision ; a ircuit Ccr IN BRIEF a i nee ge: i senten(: tion N.Y. (AP) - ortrayed as-i er the Sept acks drew ight-montb .< ay for an *• ation and » 3rted to Svnj re has ate months te‘’ •Marabh, 35 i e already sent >erve mc-t : " sent to Smi citizen, I*?" vyer said, vho was l>. seld in iso*; prison foir' e oleadinet. Some jobs suck. Some don’t. : Internships help students evaluate, and reevaluate, their career choices By Kendra Kingsley evaluating what part of the internship is causing early in the internship. ity” Shanks said. “After doing a couple of THE BATTALION For most students, spending summer vaca- I tion surrounded by relatives is a recipe for tor ture. But for Brady Herrin, a junior accounting major, a summer internship with his family’s business was exactly the type of experience he wanted. Herrin has worked at Lonestar Computer Corporation, a company specializing in restor ing battery backups for computers, since he was in high school. “Since my dad is the president of the compa- ! ny, and my brother is its CFO, we all appreciate the business as a family," Herrin said. “I defi nitely take my job a little more seriously since I know I’ll be working there one day.” Herrin is not allowing his family connections to finalize his immediate career plans, however. He said his summer internship has encouraged him to work for an outside company before returning to Lonestar Computer Corporation. “I don't want to fall into working for my dad’s business,” Herrin said. "I'd feel better with a taste of the real world, which 1 can get from working other places first. I think that type of experience will give me an outside view that 1 can bring back to the family business.” Like Herrin, many students are testing the waters with an internship before making any final career moves. According to Dale Pracht, assistant director of internship programs at the Career Center, 3.314 students registered to search for internships through the Career Center during the 2001-2(X)2 school year. While many students pursue an internship relating to their major, Pracht said several addi tional factors should be considered before interning with a company. “Students should decide what their values are,” Pracht said. “The culture of the company, its size and what you’ll be doing on a day-to- day basis are all important factors to consider.” Even less-than-perfect internships can be valuable experiences, Pracht said. But before changing majors completely, Pracht suggests the student to second guess his or her future. "Students should decide whether the day-to-day tasks they are doing for a company are enjoyable or not,” he said. ‘‘If they’re not, then you may want to consider other types of fields - just : Jjjm don’t base your view of a career on one bad experience.” To avoid this, a Pracht suggests communicating with a supervisor When you’re first with a company, sit down with a supervisor and determine what the com pany’s expectations are of you and what you expect from them.” Brad Shanks, a senior management informa tion systems major, said his internship as a computer programmer with J.C. Penney left him with a clear vision of what he Igb, does and does not want to pursue in the corporate world. “I worked with COBOL, an \*\ ancient computer language that is very structured and has no flexibil- COBOL programs, I realized 1 wanted to go into a job where I would be working with newer technology.” Shanks said in spite of the job’s low points, he gained a sense of post-graduate life. “The internship gave me a taste of what cor porate life is like and how things get done in the industry," he said. “It let me decide what types of computer programming I liked and didn’t like in a real environment, instead of in a class.” In addition to serving as a valuable resume builder, internships can help students specify which particular field they want to pursue. Kim Yerby, a senior marketing major, said her internship with Meeting Professional International gave her direction into the type of marketing she wants to practice. “There are so many different things you can do with a marketing degree, like public rela tions, advertising, marketing research and inter national marketing,” Yerby said. “Before I start ed my summer internship, 1 had absolutely no idea of what type of marketing 1 wanted to go into. I thought I’d try an internship because I just wanted to get answers.” According to Pracht, the Career Center helps students find such answers throughout the year. “Many companies will hire interns two semesters in advance,” Pracht said. “For that reason, the Career Center offers workshops and advising throughout the year, to help students land the kind of internship that they want. It’s never too early to start looking - especially if you want to find the best fit for your major.” For Yerby, finding her passion was apparent by the end of the internship. After designing the layout for a media kit, controlling traffic for the company’s magazine and sending advertise ments to printing companies, Yerby knew what she wanted to pursue. "Working with the company made me like my major even more,” she said. “Eve made so many connections through clients, sales repre sentatives and employers. Now, I definitely know what 1 want to do.” You've got the baby! largest poster selection in town TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY mething at: at makes ' . | don't Ik informatic ara. efall andspnftjs^ iys and exam pew* MASTER: Send *»« -mi. ntheDivsionofSSS: ak) Building. iww.thebatt.com The Battalion, to* II845-0569. Adie®’ i Fnday. Tax: 845-25 Dick up a single W doI year, $30totte lasterCaid. Disco* lckets.com r~ c T-SHIRTS • CAPS • SHORTS • POSTERS UNIQUE AGGIE FASHIONS
