By Cassie Phillips

Finding the right career path can be challenging for any college student. Internships are designed to make the journey of finding the right job a little easier.

How do you know that you are on the right career path? What does a typical day look like?

These are all questions to consider when looking at your future career path.

Internships are not just for college seniors; internships can be an eye-opening experience for any grade level. It allows students to check out potential career opportunities while learning new skills along the way.

Many students leave an internship with added knowledge of the career and know more about themselves.

Rachel Holtmeyer has had two internship experiences. Her first internship was at the Adams County State’s Attorney Office. While there, she was able to read and review cases and sit in on court hearings. Holtmeyer is currently interning for the Adams County Public Defender’s Office. She says is learning a lot about communication skills by working with her supervisor and with offenders.

 “It’s so different than what you would imagine and getting that firsthand experience in working with professionals; it is just so beneficial, and you learn so much from being there and being hands-on,” Holtmeyer said.

Internships let student put their classroom knowledge and schoolwork to the test.

“I find myself saying, oh, we did that in professor Abbott’s class, or she taught me that. Then it’s very cool to apply some of those things to what I’m doing at my internship and be like yes, I can do this. I know this information, and what I am learning does apply to the real world,” Holtmeyer said.

Finding an internship that interests you is a significant first step to any career goal. The good thing about internships is that they help you decide if you are heading on the right path. Once you start engaging with employers within your specific field, you might realize that this path is not for you.

Aloysius Cooper is currently interning at the Adams County State’s Attorney office. Cooper is a forensic psychology major but has taken a lot of criminal justice classes.

Even though his internship is geared towards criminal justice, Cooper is still enjoying going to court and learning how lawyers work.

 “I am enjoying seeing and hearing things that I have learned in my criminal justice classes in action. I also get to see how lawyers and state’s attorneys actually work versus how they are portrayed on TV,” Cooper says.

The QUEST Center is where students can find, and apply for, internships.

Kristen Liesen is a resource for help in finding internships and getting help to fill out the necessary paperwork. Since Liesen has been at Quincy University, she has seen fascinating student internships.

Liesen says she’s placed students in internships working for the FBI, Washington University Research Lab, and the Washington D.C. internship program.

Internships are a requirement for some majors including psychology, criminal justice, and sports management.

Erin Enger, a sports management major, had an internship with the men’s basketball team and athletic department for game day operations.

Enger gave advice for upcoming interns.

“Start early, and don’t wait until the last minute,” Enger said.

Internships can still be added for the Spring 2020 semester. The cutoff date to sign up for an internship is February 5, 2020, at 3:00 p.m.