It is especially in a recession. Here’s why:
The U.S. economy is in the steepest downturn in 27 years. Millions of jobs have already been shed – with the rate of job losses the highest in 60 years. Consumer confidence is at the lowest level in the 40 years that it’s been recorded.
"Because of my time spent with TWC I was able to network
and make connections that I will be able to use for the rest of
my professional life. The lessons that I learned while interning
through The Washington Center helped me to secure my job
with Senator Voinovich."
Mark Schloemer, TWC '08
Ohio Northern University
Internship: Torture Abolition
and
Survivors Support Coalition (TASSC)
Current title: Personal Assistant to Senator George V. Voinovich (R-OH)
What does the economic downturn mean for college and university students? It is becoming much more difficult for graduating seniors to find jobs. “New college graduates are entering one of the worst job environments in years,” according to Eric Sorenson, CEO of Vault.com. In a recent survey 62% of employers called the job market fair or poor compared with only 7% last year. Fewer employers have jobs to offer, and fewer are visiting campuses.
Compounding the challenges for soon-to-be grads is
the number of students emerging into the job market alongside them - and the recent grads already there. According to the National Center for Education statistics, more students are graduating for college - 1.6 million, up from 1.5 the year before. Further compounding the competition are a record number of unemployed and underemployed college graduates seeking work.
So what can today’s undergraduates do? They can - and should - equip themselves with as much relevant experience as possible. That means securing and completing quality internships.
"My Washington Center experience has
exceeded my expectations by helping me
to pursue a career within the Department
of Justice (DOJ) with the United States
Marshals Service (USMS)."
Tracey Taylor, TWC '08
Arkansas State University
Internship: Marshals Service
Current title: Team Leader of
Education and Training, Department of Justice (DOJ),
United
States
Marshals Service (USMS)
Internships are traditionally the stepping stones of choice from the college classroom to the world of work. But in these times they have become even more so. Their importance to employers as an effective recruiting tool is growing. A 2008 study reports that 95% of employers prefer candidates with work experience - the more relevant the better. And if they can find these candidates at minimal expense, they will. It is no surprise, then, that 50% of new hires have now completed internships or coops within the companies that hired them, and that an additional 40% had interned with another company.
As Bill Fletcher of Middle Tennessee University sums it up : “The decrease in college hiring combined with the desire on the part of employers for candidates to have experience will further make obtaining an internship or coop placement necessary for successful entry into the job market upon graduation. “With the economy tightening,” he continues, ” it appears that internships and coops will play a more important role in who gets hired…. Students who have not interned will be at a disadvantage when it comes to securing a full-time position, and seniors and perhaps juniors, may not have enough time to line up a quality internship …before they graduate.”
"The experience I had in Washington, D.C.,
and the relationships I developed there were
a part of my being accepted to Yale Law
School."
Gregg A. Walker, TWC '93
Washington University in St.
Louis
Internship: Senator Harris Wofford (D-PA)
Current title: Vice President, Viacom
The Washington Center is a trusted provider of high-quality internships, and whatever your year in college, we can – if you meet our eligibility requirements – find you a tailored placement. Our programming also helps you understand and prepare for your career options and provides extensive opportunities for networking. The cost of our program – which varies widely but in most cases is discounted significantly by financial assistance from one or more sources – is reasonable and within reach for most students, and it represents a sound investment for an academic and professional experience of this type. In a downturn like the one we’re in now, the value of that investment only increases.
The Washington Center Announces an Expansion of Financial Assistance
The Washington Center has a long-standing commitment to keeping its programs as affordable as possible. In light of the current economic downturn, we are expanding our financial assistance for the 2009 summer term by thirty percent. We hope that the scholarships and other aid this enlarged pool supports will bring the net cost of the program within reach for selected students needing additional support.
"I doubt very much that I would be where
I am today had it not been for my experience
at The Washington Center."
Dennis Cardoza, TWC '79
University of Maryland
Internship: Office of U.S. Representative Martin Frost (D-TX)
Current title: U.S. Congressman (D-CA)
The new financial assistance, reserved for selected students, will take the form of William M. Burke Leadership Awards (unrestricted grants of varying amounts).
All applicants to The Washington Center are automatically considered for financial assistance. Those considered for these new forms of support may be required to provide additional documentation.
Please continue exploring our website to learn more about internship programs offered and scholarship funding available.
Back To Top
|
