Getting Career Experience in the Summer

As the Spring 2021 semester ends, graduating and soon-to-be seniors are applying to many jobs or internships during the summer. At UTRGV, Handshake is where students at the university can find and apply to positions. Already, departments such as Student Media, the Center for Student Involvement, and Parking and Transportation Services are looking to hire students during the summer. On Facebook, the UTRGV Career Center occasionally posts a list showing available offers from companies in and out of the Rio Grande Valley.

Now, UTRGV students have just entered the first week of May, the final week of the Spring semester. The grind to apply for summer work is on.

It is said to students to meet with their professors during their office hours. The person students see frequently are their professors. These members of the campus community have many experiences. Beyond that, they have a library of connections with colleagues. Besides asking for help with an assignment, they can also write the letters of recommendation that many recruiters often request.

Gregory Selber, a professor for the Communication department, has helped students with this by encouraging them to apply. He said it takes time to get ready for work.

“If you want to go to work in May, then you got to start looking in February,” Selber said over the phone. “If you want to go to work in December, you better start looking in September.”

“The problem is that kids don’t understand because they don’t have [the] experience yet obviously, [but] that is not just a matter of finding something and going, it takes a lot longer than that.”

Alongside networking with professors, updating résumés and social media, writing cover letters take time to produce. Also, researching is important too. Is it paid? Money is a major factor that makes a difference whether leads are interested or uninterested to the job. John “Jack” Kaufold, the internship coordinator for the Career Center, works with student to prepare application material for employment.

Kaufold graduated as a graphic design major in 2011 at the legacy institution, the University of Texas-Pan American. He recommends student start looking for work during their freshman year, if possible.

“It depends on the organization, or the employer who’s wanting to hire the right population of students by their classification or major,” Kaufold said. “As a freshman, students need to do their research and planning way in advance to decide when they want to do an internship”.

At UTRGV, specially in the Communication Department, there is a course where student can gain academic credit during an internship. Unfortunately, a student might not be able to take this course because if may not be available to them. This issue has been expressed by several students on social media or in overheard conversations. Thus, planning out when to take a certain course is critical.

“We never know what our situation is going to be from like a semester from now,” Kaufold said. “So, you need to take time to do [the] research ahead of time.”

Job hunting as been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with more virtual interviews on Zoom or over the phone than in-person. For students in the performing arts, online auditions assured job opportunities for them such as Kiryat Castillo, a theatre senior. She will be performing in the Roanoke Island Historical Association’s production of The Lost Colony during this summer in North Carolina.

“I think now there’s a little bit more hope now that there’s vaccines going on,” Castillo said.

Castillo sent a video of her monologues to the audition on a Google form, different from what she was used to, but liked the new format. She submitted her entry in March, and heard she got the part in April. She also participated in more online and in-person auditions and received offers from them. The theatre senior reached out to Jennifer Saxton, an associate professor for Theatre at UTRGV, to help her with application material and other paperwork like contracts.

Castillo was hesitant to audition because of the coronavirus, a family member of Castillo died after getting the virus. Regardless, Castillo will use the chance to network and get her foot out the door.

For more information about jobs and internships, email the Career Center at careercenter@utrgv.edu.