ICAD and P1 Engage College Interns

More than 70 Interns Between CR and IC Will Participate This Year

From KCRG-TV Cedar Rapids

A summer internship is a time-honored way for college students to get a jump on a job after graduation. But with today's economy, some students say it's almost a "make or break" part of a resume.

And a program sponsored by Priority 1 and the Iowa City Area Development Group in the I-380 Technology Corridor is aimed at making sure students both take advantage of internships with corridor companies and also consider Eastern Iowa when searching for a permanent job.

On Wednesday, June 3, about 65 interns from colleges in Iowa and elsewhere took part in a "Real World--The Corridor" program. Sponsors plan events both to promote local companies and internship programs and also introduce the students working here to cultural and economic opportunities in the corridor itself.

One of the lessons on Wednesday's program was how to network. One consultant says 70 percent of jobs come through personal interaction with people and it's important for interns to know how to do it.

Maggie Mowery of Change Management said "one way we do networking is to bring interns in--they get to see the workplace, we get to see the young people and how they work. And who knows what that can lead to."

ISU grad Chris Cheang from Malaysia needs no convincing about the importance of an internship--especially in troubled economic times. His summer internship job at Whirlpool in the Amanas is his third internship in industrial engineering. Change said if you can't show a recruiter that kind of experience on a resume, you're at a real disadvantage.

"The first thing they ask when they see a resume is to ask about professional work experience--that directly impacts the interviewing," Cheang said.

The student interns, and program organizers, also say in a tough economy companies will pick and choose much more carefully. And real world experience with an internship gives an edge over someone with just good grades.