Internships and Career Services
The College of Communications helps undergraduate students, graduate students and alumni explore their goals and implement
an effective job search. The office provides current listings for
job openings throughout the communications industries and acts as
a national clearinghouse for communications jobs at all levels of
management. Relevant seminars are offered throughout the school
year. Individual counseling for resumé writing, audition
tape and portfolio preparations, and job-hunting techniques is available
to students and alumni by appointment. In addition, our office schedules on-campus recruiters.
Career Services -- Cover letters, resumes and interviewing.
Comm Career Center
This College of Communications resource is a one-stop shop for students and recent graduates to pursuing communications-specific jobs. It is a place where on campus recruiters and recruiters attending our communications-specific career fairs can view resumes of our students and recent grads. For more information about the site, please contact the Office of Internships and Career Placement.
Internships
(Click for internship profiles/leads)
The internship program offers students the opportunity
to sharpen their professional skills under the critical eyes of
practitioners, to relate their education in the arts and sciences
to communications professions, and to explore career interests.
Under Communications 495, the College offers internship opportunities
with newspapers, advertising agencies, broadcasting stations, public
relations offices, magazines, and other groups concerned with public
communication. The College maintains an updated list of internship sites and provides a downloadable PowerPoint
presentation about internships through the College. To download the presentation, click here.
Most internships are for three credits, the maximum number of internship
credits a College of Communications major may acquire, regardless
of the number of internships served. Some internships may be for
one or two credits, depending on the understanding with the sponsor
and the number of intern hours served. Approximately 200 hours of
internship experience are required for three credits, with proportionately
fewer hours for fewer credits. Valuing their internship experiences,
some students choose to serve 200 or more intern hours with a sponsor
despite the fact that they may be registered for fewer than three
credits.
Tuition for internship credits is the same as it is for all Penn State credits, and most internships are away from campus. The College recommends that a minimum of $500 be paid to students upon successful completion of an internship; however, this is entirely the decision of the sponsoring organization. The internship program is directed by a faculty member to ensure academic standards are maintained.
While the College's internship program
is varied in its opportunities and flexible in its particulars,
it requires that an internship be a structured learning experience.
Interns should not be regarded as cheap labor or as a replacement
for vacationing staffers. In order to assist students, the College
maintains a list of internship sites and
provides information on those sites upon request.
Because the College asks that its interns be given opportunities
to test their professional competencies, the College assumes the
obligation of approving internships for only those students who
are likely to perform in a professional manner. In short, students
should regard their selection for an internship as an honor. Such
selection is an expression of confidence by both the sponsor and
the College in the students' abilities, motivations, and maturity.
Job Fairs
Two annual sessions are scheduled--one taking students to recruiters in New York City and the other the annual JobExpo.Comm(unications) on campus.
- JobExpo.Comm(unications) March 23, 2012 / HUB-Robeson Center
- "Success in the City" April 20, 2012 / New York City
Films & Friends
Annual networking and film screening session in New York City.
(April 20, 2012 / Dolby Screening Room)
Real Life 101
"A
Guide to Communications Careers," an alumni and student career development resource compiled by alumni of the College of Communications.
From a "Real Life 101" session conducted by alumni for
students, the information provided addresses everything from business dinner etiquette and moving to a different city as well as information on interviews conducted during meals.
