7 Questions with Pitt’s Internship Coordinator, Alyson Kavalukas
1. What is the Internship Prep Program?
The Internship Prep Program is a combination of four workshops and individual appointments offered to help students customize their internship or experiential learning search. Students may now even track their search progress online at internships.pitt.edu. This program is designed to help every participant to realize their strengths, understand how and where to find opportunities relevant to them, and train them to be successful in their application, interview and follow up processes.
2. How does it work?
Students begin by attending any of the 40+ programs offered per semester, or meeting with an Internship Team member during walk-ins, offered daily from 1-3 p.m. in 200 WPU.
3. Why is it important for students to have internship experience?
Experience is what employers want to see when they are seeking new hires. The better the student experiences, the better chance students have to beat out the competition for openings that are in demand. Another benefit of the program is for students to gain experience to help them make academic decisions such as selecting classes, choosing majors or certificates, etc.
4. What is your favorite thing about being the Internship Prep Program Coordinator?
Helping students to make decisions about their futures!
5. During which year should students begin to participate in the Internship Prep Program?
The earlier the better. With so many students completing internships nowadays, getting started with the IPP in your first year gives you time to line up more than one experience if you work at it.
6. What is the number one things you want students to know about the Internship Prep Program?
It is designed to help individual students to create the best possible plan of action for their personal goals. Done right, students have all the tools they need to succeed in internship and post-grad job searches.
7. What makes the Internship Guarantee at Pitt unique?
Not many schools, if any, offer a guarantee of this magnitude. We encourage all undergrads to take advantage of the tremendous resources being offered to make them the most competitive candidates in their career paths.
