March 2006

Briefly speaking: Discovering a career path

Linda Hughes of the Internship and Career Center attends a recent recruiting event on campus. (Debbie Aldridge/UC Davis)

Rarely do freshmen arrive at college with a clear career path in mind. While it's normal for students to change direction several times during their undergraduate years, they shouldn't wait for their senior year to roll along before clarifying career goals.

Linda Hughes, program manager at the campus Internship and Career Center, encourages students to visit the center at the end of their freshman year or beginning of their sophomore year to explore experiences that will complement their academic goals.

The ICC helps place more than 6,000 students a year in internships from the health field to agricultural business, engineering and the liberal arts. The center also assists students in job placement and career advising, while providing online tools to help students assess values, skills and career interests. Students can make use of drop-in hours or schedule an appointment to speak with one of the 13 professionals on the center's staff.

Gaining experience

"Internships enable students to expand on materials from a class with applied experience," Hughes says. "The experience they gain will lead to letters of reference and skills they may not get through a class."

Internships also help students develop communication skills in the working world, which is extremely important, says Hughes, and equal to a potential employer's interest in experience. From liberal arts to engineering, the ability to speak and write effectively and exercise good quantitative skills are key to success. Some internships even pay after a student has gained experience; most involve eight to 10 hours a week.

On Thursday, April 20, UC Davis will host its annual Spring Career Fair, which brings a broad mix of businesses to Freeborn Hall. About 3,000 students attended the winter event that attracted more than 100 employers. Students also can peruse thousands of internship opportunities listed on the center's Web site.

"While it's not uncommon for undergraduates to shift their focus numerous times, internships can be instrumental in helping solidify a career choice or helping a student determine they need to explore other options," Hughes says.

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