Employers are increasingly interested in
hiring students who have gained relevant experience and skills to complement
their academic preparation. (If you are an employer wishing to
advertise part-time, internship or co-op opportunities, please see the
Career Center website at
http://www.sc.edu/career/employersmenu.html). The following are several ways students can
gain experience and develop valuable skills while pursuing their education:
Campus Involvement
Membership, committee work or
holding an office in a student organization are excellent ways for students to demonstrate
initiative, teamwork, and leadership.
Volunteer Work
The
Office
of Community Service Programs assists students at USC in getting involved
in service activities. The Career Center can also help students identify
non-profit associations and organizations that may have volunteer opportunities.
Part-Time Employment
There are many ways students can
locate part-time employment including
JobMate. Students should visit the Career Center for information
on additional methods for identifying relevant opportunities.
Internships
Internships
vary in length and compensation and may be completed during either a summer
or an academic semester. Students in many majors are eligible to
receive academic credit
for internships. There are multiple ways students
can locate internship opportunities including the following:
-
JobMate -
the Career Center's database for searching for current internships, as
well as identifying employers that routinely recruit at USC.
Honors students have the option to indicate that they are in the Honors
College and also to identify employers interested in hiring honors
students.
- Web Resources
that contain internship postings
- Web Resources by
college or major (for example, under "Mass Communications/Journalism" the American Advertising
Federation posts internships)
- The Internship
Archives,
a searchable database of internships previously listed through the Career Center and/or completed by USC
students
- Career Library
Resources such as internship directories and files
- HAP! - The
Honors Alumni
Profiles which allow for networking with previous Honors College
graduates
- E-leads -
an online database of over 1450
employers who have indicated that they hire undergraduate arts and
sciences students
-
Vault - Search the Vault internship database and identify potential
employers. Email career@sc.edu for
the password.
- Academic Departments
which frequently receive information about opportunities and may post
them on bulletin boards near the department office - students should
network with faculty as well
Students should also talk to a Career Center staff member for assistance in locating additional opportunities.
Cooperative Education
(Co-op)
Cooperative
education is an intense career-related experience involving a 2-3 semester
commitment. It is most popular with students in engineering, business and
science and math. Students receive co-op designation on their transcript and
are paid an average rate of $12.84/hr. Students interested in co-op
should visit the Career Center for requirements and additional information.
Undergraduate Research
Assisting a faculty member with a research project is a
terrific way to build your resume and learn more about your chosen field.
Often, students can receive academic credit for research by enrolling in an
independent study course. The Office of
Undergraduate Research at USC is a fantastic resource for locating
research opportunities.