James Brtlett

The Stahl Building.

Along with many Boston-based college students this year, some Suffolk University students are gearing up for fast-approaching internship application deadlines this spring, in the hopes of gaining experience that will help with future job searches. 

In a recent study done by Burning Glass Technologies and the Boston Foundation, Boston-based graduates who had completed an internship are more likely to find a job postgraduation, as prior interns were 75% successful, in comparison to 63% of students who had no internship experience. 

Many Suffolk students have been weighing the pros and cons of applying for internships this spring, and have questions about the process of trying to find the right internship for them.

“One challenge that I may run into is how the internship will fit my school schedule,” said Vincent Tavanese, an entrepreneurship major at Suffolk University. “It would really be tough for me to drop my full-time position — and though I do understand that gaining experience in my specific job field is valuable, currently I am unable to take on an unpaid internship.” 

Stephen Meno, assistant director of Internship Programs, said these types of challenges are very common and urged students to seek out school-provided resources at the Suffolk University Career Center. 

“[Unpaid internships] do exclude a large population of the student body,” said Meno. “In the Career Center, we encourage the employers that we talk with to pay their interns and we are also working on establishing an unpaid internship fund.” 

The center offers a wide range of resources to students applying to internships, including one-on-one meetings with career advisors and career seminars specializing in resume drafting and interview advice. 

“What I would suggest is to give us a call in the Career Center or email us, so if you are running into that issue, we can help you find the best solution,” said Meno.

The center is also hosting a career fair on March 1, along with more major-specific career fairs happening later in the month. The fair will allow Suffolk students to network with companies looking for interns or full-time employees this spring. 

“When you think about an internship search, you want to think about multiple strategies to find the right internship for you,” said Meno. “There are a lot of great things happening in the Career Center, so making sure that you are looking at our newsletter, and checking Handshake can really help with the internship search process.”

Meno also stressed the importance of utilizing in-person center events during an internship search, as connecting with employers has historically proven to be a large part of internship success.  

“Networking has shown to be a really effective way for students to get internship opportunities, so attending these events and meeting with these employers have shown to be a great way to make a connection with a future hiring manager,” said Meno. 

Melissa Martin, a sophomore and an HR Intern at a non-profit in Cambridge, can attest to the power of networking. She got her internship through a guest speaker in one of her classes at Sawyer Business School. 

“There are a lot of people that you’ll meet throughout the semester, so making connections is the biggest advice I could give,” said Martins. “Even if they don’t have any internships, they probably know people that do.” 

For students asking themselves if applying for internships is worth the risk of getting a rejection, both Martins and Meno say the risk is definitely worth the reward. 

“I love the practice I am getting,” said Martins. “I wanted to know if HR was something I wanted to do – and now that I have the internship I know that I enjoy it.” 

“Don’t let [rejection] be the end of your road or a shot to your confidence,” said Meno. “Take it as a learning opportunity and reach out to the Career Center because we can help you. Feel those emotions that you need to feel in that moment, but don’t let it be a stopping point for you.” 

For more information on internships, students are encouraged to contact Suffolk Career Center or check out their latest episode of Ramplify, “Episode 16: Internships.”