If you're a student nearing graduation, it means you will be looking for a job soon. You might consider getting an internship first. Internships can be a vital link for young adults who are trying to land their first job.
Here in the Valley, Heald College emphasizes the importance of a good internship. The school has a strong tradition of career-focused programs. The school works with local companies to place students into internship programs.
CBS47 talked to Lee Vang, a recent Heald College graduate, who is a new employee of Decade Software. Vang got the job through an internship with the school.
Vang started interning with Decade Software in his last semester of college. He finished school last April and started working with the company immediately. He says the time he spent learning as an intern definitely gave him an edge. "In terms of my behavior and my mindset, it's more professional. It's not just "a job is a job", you want what's going to provide you with something for the future," said Vang.
Decade Software is one of several local companies that works with Heald College to connect students with jobs in their career path. They say using students for internships is just good business sense. "It takes a lot to understand our product and our software and our processes so basically we make an upfront investment in those interns and training and teaching them on-the-job skills," said Stephanie Peugh with Decade Software.
Administrators at Heald College point to a recent study that shows that 63% of students who intern received at least one job offer upon graduation. That's compared to only 36% non-interning grads.
We push them to do that while they're in school so that they can find a job that much closer to graduation. "We really shoot to get our students employed in their field of study within 90 days post-graduation," said Stephanie Hausladen with Heald College.
Meanwhile, Vang believes internships are the wave of the future and he has some advice for students who are getting ready to join the working world: "I definitely would recommend the internship. Trying to get as much of the real work experience as possible."
Not only are students who intern more likely to get job offers, they're also more likely to keep the jobs they do get.
