Want a Career But Can’t Commit? Try an Internship
The question of what to do after graduation can be a daunting one, even for those who are still a few years from graduating. Luckily, students have access to resources that can help get them started on their post-college journey.
The doors of the Career Services and Internships Office, located in Rondileau Student Union Room 104, are open to all students, regardless of their class year. “We always encourage students to start as early as the first day on campus,” program Director Gerald Tang (he/him) told The Comment. Nor is it ever too late to work with the office. “I think the myth is that you need to be ready,” he said, but explained that the office can help students begin to think about what interests them and navigate the internship application process.
The office offers traditional services like resume and cover letter writing assistance, but Tang emphasized other programs students tend to be less familiar with, like practice interviews and guidance for networking with industry professionals.
According to Tang, one major benefit of internships is that they allow students to explore different opportunities without committing to a role in the long-term. “It’s kind of like a nicer way to job hop without necessarily any sort of penalty or negative implications,” he said, while switching roles frequently in the professional world may be seen as unreliable by potential employers.
Tang also encourages students to be open-minded and expand their view of internships beyond the typical office job. “Internships can be research, an on-the-job experience, working in a lab, working in an organization in a front-facing role or the operations role,” said Tang. He added that internships allow students to practice “critical skills” outside the classroom like showing up on time, dressing professionally, and engaging in dialogues, all of which “you may be able to use in any work setting.”
Economics and Finance major Jack Badavas (‘25) is the President of the Bridgewater Collegiate Investors club and had the opportunity to test out his skills on the job with a summer internship at the Morrissey Goodale consulting firm in Natick, MA. Badavas worked in Mergers and Acquisitions, what he calls the companies “bread and butter,” but says the nature of the internship allowed him to explore aspects of the operation. While Badavas got the internship independently, he added that without the resources provided by the Career and Internship Office in his early years at BSU, he “probably wouldn’t be here.” He emphasized the benefit of the professional experience and networking opportunities his role offered, even staying with the company to working part-time, and advised students to start pursuing internships early in order to discover what they do and don’t enjoy.
Students can learn more about the Career and Internship Program by visiting their BridgeNet site and, starting this semester, can schedule an appointment with the office directly through Handshake.
