Students bustled through the Louis Room at Norris University Center on Thursday afternoon, stopping at booths and searching for opportunities to make their summer a bit more meaningful.
University Career Services, Associate Student Government and the Office of the Provost sponsored the event called SummerFest, which offered information about summer internships, programs, classes and research opportunities. Betsy Gill, assistant director of internship services at NU, said the event had a broader scope than many of the career fairs UCS hosts throughout the year. SummerFest included UCS programming as well as booths from about 20 NU community groups .
“I preach about internships all the time, but there are opportunities over the summer to do things that are meaningful that maybe aren’t classified as an internship but they are getting people out of their comfort zones,” Gill said.
Departments such as the Study Abroad Office and programs such as Chicago Field Studies and Engage Chicago provided students with 15-minute information sessions . UCS offered internship search advice and resume and cover letter reviews. About 700 students attended, said Dianne Siekmann, associate director for employment services .
“A lot of deadlines are in mid-to-late January so we wanted students the minute they get back to know they have to get going on planning out what they’re going to do over the summer so they don’t miss any deadlines,” Gill said.
Weinberg freshman Evie Atwater attended SummerFest to learn more about internships and summer opportunities.
“I know I want an internship or something career-enriching to do over the summer, but I don’t really know what,” Atwater said. “I don’t have much direction.”
She said she is searching for a social science or business-related internship to gain experience and contribute to her resume.
“I need to do something meaningful with my summer,” she said. “I have a minimum wage job that I could go back to.”
Weinberg sophomore Andrew Abtahi said he used the UCS online career database, CareerCat, during winter break to search for internships. He has already applied for about 10 spots, most finance-related, although he would prefer a government-related position.
Through CareerCat , Weinberg junior Henri Pierre-Jacques found an internship at Goldman Sachs for the summer after his sophomore year. Pierre said he and learned about the finance industry while at the company and hopes to pursue investment banking.
In addition to internship coordination, UCS also offers students career counseling, hosting networking events and mock interviews. Students can also contact the office for help connecting with employers, she added .
“Our office helps students at any level,” she said. “If you’re confused and uncertain, we can help you. If you know what career path you want to take and you’re wondering what employees to network with and how to write a resume, how to write a cover letter, we can help you with that.”
