Join the Career Services Center for an internship and volunteer fair.
By Josh Hughes
On October 27 from 12 – 4 p.m., there will be a Community Volunteer & Internship Fair in the VU Multipurpose Room. Tailored to all types of students, the fair is a place for anyone looking to build up their resume, get involved in networking or make a difference within the community on many different levels. Over 60 representatives from over 50 organizations will be present to talk to students about career and volunteer opportunities in the Bellingham community.
Karen Powell, the Career Services Center’s Coordinator of Job Search Services, stresses the importance of interning in college. She cited Western’s 2015 Employment Survey, which showed that students who interned in college eased their way into jobs more so than those without the experience. With that in mind, the Community Volunteer & Internship Fair looks to serve as an entryway for students who have been curious about interning or volunteering, but don’t necessarily know where to start.
Powell says she often stresses the fair as being largely for freshmen and sophomores “because it’s a great way for them to get experience—whether volunteer or an actual internship—that they can document on their resume and use to decide about major, career direction and skills they possess.”
There are also some professional internship opportunities with entities such as the Washington State Attorney General’s office, so students of all backgrounds and ages are welcome to the event.
The fair puts equal importance on volunteer and internship work, so there will be a variety of non-profit and governmental organizations that often have positions in the Bellingham community. While a few of the organizations will be offering employment positions (Ameson Education & Cultural Exchange Foundation, Space Needle), it is important to note that most of opportunities are unpaid positions. Instead of a resource for part time jobs, the fair is for students looking to further their hands-on experience with the fields they’re passionate about or want to learn more about.
Students are expected to bring copies of their resume and will likely want to prepare introductions about themselves and the skills they plan to bring to the organization. Many of the booths will also have sign-up lists so the organizations can get in touch with students after the fair.
The Washington State Council of Presidents defines an internship as “a form of experiential learning that takes place in a professional environment… In contrast to jobs, internships often focus on defined projects, rather than routine unit operations.” In contrast, volunteer work focuses on non-profit organizations with opportunities for students to work alongside other volunteers of different backgrounds. Both are types of experiential learning that give students a glimpse into professional environments, and they both allow for students to get further in touch with the topics and fields that they’re passionate about.
At the fair, students can expect to see over fifty organizations including Compass 2 Campus, Space Needle LLC, The Restore, and Pickford Film Center. The full list can be found on their website at wwu.edu/careers/comminternfair_students2016.shtml.
“The list is so long that I can’t pick out one organization that is more special than another,” says Powell, further stressing the breadth of organizations and opportunities at the fair. “I see possibilities for students from every college and interest area!”
