Carnegie Mellon University
February 27, 2015

Job and Internship Panel Prepares English Majors for Future

Diane Taylor speaking at the Job and Internship PanelDiane Taylor speaking at the Job and Internship Panel

As an intern at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, English major Braden Kelner has had hands-on work experience and learned the ins and outs of journalism, like how to ask his editor for help when he needs it.

Braden, along with two other English upperclassmen, shared their experiences of interning at Thursday evening’s English Major Job and Internship Panel, hosted by the department’s Student Advisory Committee.

“This was such an informative event for the students,” said Diane Taylor, Carnegie Mellon’s Career and Professional Development Center assistant director. “Internships are an important part of a student’s career exploration, and a great way to get real world, hands-on experience. I think it’s really powerful when students come together to share their experiences.”

All three students discussed how they found their internships, what they enjoyed most about their positions, and offered advice for students looking to go down the same path.

“Explore all of your options,” said Samatha Ward who interned at the Pittsburgh City Paper and at a start-up arts organization called Easely where she is now an employee. “Go to the fairs. Even if you think there is nothing there for you, there might be. Also, take un-paid internships for course credit.”

“Try something new,” said Elana Goldberg, who previously interned at the CBS affiliate TV station in Philadelphia. “Have fun with it. And, if the posting says no calls, call anyway with a specific question. That way, they’ll remember your name while reviewing resumes.”

Taylor was also on-hand to discuss the center’s resources that students can use to find internships and jobs. She also offered how-to tips for writing resumes and cover letters, and presented post-graduate and internships statistics.

As a freshman Creative and Technical Writing major, Joshua Brown, walked into the panel imagining internships weren’t even possible to take on during his first year of college.

“The most important thing I took away from the panel was that internships are achievable, even for freshman,” said Brown who wants to intern at a publication.

“I learned that I need to be proactive in getting my name out there and actively pursue skills that will help make me marketable,” said Brown. “I also learned that getting an internship is based on half connections and half qualifications.”

Senior Creative Writing and Linguistics Major, Von Wise, attended the panel hoping to find more information to help him land a job after graduation.

“I had the opportunity to meet with Diane Taylor one on one,” said Wise. “We looked at job positions located in cities I’m looking at like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The positions weren’t something I would have found on my own.”

If you are a student looking for an internship or job, log onto CMU’s Career and Professional Development Center’s website for helpful resources.