Mississippi State University Career Center strives to equip students with the necessary tools to obtain an internship with several resources.
Angie Chrestman, associate director of the MSU Career Center, said the center offers numerous internship and co-op programs for students. However, these programs do not grant academic credit. She said various academic programs provide internship classes that may offer credit.
Chrestman said career fairs, careershift.com and goingglobal.com are excellent resources for students. Going Global offers opportunities nationally and internationally. Career Shift allows for students to track companies and find contacts to reach out to.
“Personally, I use it (Career Shift) a lot with my students because it is very user-friendly,” Chrestman said.
Chrestman said social media presence is important when applying for any internship or job. She said students should use LinkedIn to connect with potential employers and to display their resumes. 
She emphasized the importance of maintaining clean social media platforms because employers often use social media to gain insight on students.
“Even when we interview students for our part-time jobs on campus, we’re checking social media accounts to see what kind of information is out there,” Chrestman said.
Chrestman said students should work to maintain a well-rounded resume. She said students often go from being very involved in high school to much less involved in college. She said her biggest piece of advice would be to start early when building a resume or applying for an internship.
“I think the biggest issues with students is they should start early to see where the gaps are,” Chrestman said.
Naomi Taylor, senior environmental economics and management major, obtained an internship with the U.S. Department of Agriculture  Foreign Agricultural Service’s Cochran Fellowship Program in Washington, D.C., last summer.
Taylor said she was excited to apply what she learned in the classroom to the real world through this internship. 
“Being an employee of a government agency gave me a lot of independence and new responsibilities that I never had before,” Taylor said.
She said she did not know what to expect with the internship and was happy she was able to contribute to some of the programs.
“I have learned through college and past experiences to go with the flow and roll with the punches. Unexpected things are going to come up whether you like them to or not, so might as  well accept them as they come,” Taylor said.
She said she found out about the internship while presenting in her previous internship with the Food and Agriculture Administration of the United Nations. She said others found out about the internship by paying attention to emails from their department and professors.
Taylor also stressed the importance of getting involved on campus. She said getting involved in a few quality organizations and doing some volunteer work will help students reach their ultimate goal.
“Your internship might not be your dream internship, but any step towards your dream career is a positive move that will benefit you in the long-run,” Taylor said.
Taylor said through making the right connections and showing her capabilities she was offered a job with FAS after graduation.
Former MSU student Kevin Ward said his internship with the Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson, Mississippi, helped him succeed after graduation.
“My internship gave me experience that I can reference in my resume which is important for finding jobs after college,” Ward said.
He also said the internship provided him with references to use to apply for other jobs. However, just as Chrestman stated, Ward recommends starting early.
“I didn’t start applying for internships until my junior year. That was a big mistake because at that point I didn’t have many opportunities for more internships to gain more robust experience,” Ward said.
Ward said he recommends getting to know professors and academic advisors because they will often be a point of entry to one’s first internship. 
Ward also said networking is important to obtain entry-level positions because it gives students positive and credible sources to vouch for their ability and work ethic.
“Your grades are important, but the people who know you and can recommend you are just as important,” Ward said.  “Just try to be networked in your field as much as possible.”
The Career Center hosts career fairs in both the fall and spring semesters each year. The center also hosted a Co-op and Internship Interview Day event where students had the opportunity to interview with potential employers earlier this month. More information about the Career Center can be found at career.msstate.edu.