Black Collegian Career Center

We've all seen the advertisement campaign "Got Milk?" My question for new graduates is "Got an Internship?" As the College Programs manager, for the first biotechnology company, Genentech, I can tell you first-hand that managers are looking for students who have prior industry or academic internship experience. Internship experience is one of the most important characteristics managers look for when evaluating a new college graduate. Most college hires are expected to have had at least one internship after their sophomore year, and it's becoming increasingly common to have had two or three by the time they graduate.

Internships and co-op positions are becoming a more frequent part of the academic experience. Much so that, some academic institutions are making an internship a graduate requirement for some majors. Not only are internships important in academia, industry also realizes the need for students and faculty to have their academic studies and curriculum augmented with real world industry experience. Many of you know that with today's technology and fast growing industries, such as the biotech sector, history is being made every day, and text books cannot be rewritten fast enough to keep up with the constant change in education and industry standards.

As the economy picks up, May and June 2005 graduates all across the United States will be simultaneously facing the challenge of landing that first paying job. Being in the recruiting industry for new graduate talent, I have learned that the best way to land a job in a chosen field is to have had an internship, paid or unpaid, in that respective industry. The more meaningful internship opportunities you have within a certain industry, the more marketable you are for your future employer.

While the economy is becoming stronger across most sectors the fact remains the same, that today's college graduates must be prepared to show their prospective employers they  have a "passion for the position." To find the perfect job, college graduates are going to have to show they have an understanding of the mission and purpose of the company. For recent college grads, this could mean they work for five years before getting their first great job. There is no guarantee that a good education locks-up a good job.

New grads are facing a tough job market with more qualified competition in the workforce pool; they are going to experience competition for entry-level jobs never before seen. New graduates should be prepared to enter the job market ready for battle. They should be prepared to accept seasonal workforce layoffs and hiring freezes as apart of the general economic cycle.

So what is a new grad to do? Keep in mind that although there are a number of entry-level jobs, it will simply take longer to find them. New graduates need to be more flexible in looking for work–broaden your definition of acceptable entry-level work, look for work in new cities, consider working part-time or an a temporary basis. Anything you can do to get your foot in the door will place you in the right position for when companies do move back toward growth in long-term hiring.

Seeking and landing an internship are among the most important decisions and processes you can go through during your academic career. These efforts prepare you for the world of work and puts you ahead of the game! I cannot end without giving some advice: Talk to your friends who have already had an internship, research companies in your field of interest and see whether they offer internships or co-ops, check with your career center so you know what internships are being advertised and when companies are coming to your campus to interview, and lastly, stay motivated and keep looking until you succeed!

Monica Poindexter is the College Programs manager at Genentech a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and commercializes biotherapeutics for significant unmet medical needs. The company has headquarters in South San Francisco, Calif., and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DNA. For additional information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com.