Attainable internships offered on campus by SMC

Ever wanted to gain experience working in the career of your dreams while still attending school? Some college students do not wait until they graduate and receive their degree to begin working in the professional field of their choice. These students obtain internships that usually deal with their major. College-level internships can last for a few months, and summer and winter internships last for a few weeks. Students who seek an internship can do so for college credit.

A student must first find an internship from a list of companies that offer Santa Monica College students internships in the Career Services Center. There are many participating companies, from 93.1 Jack FM to the Beverly Hills Bar Association.

In order to apply for the internships, SMC students must set up an account on SMC's Jobs4u website, collegecentral.com/smc, and register using their student identification cards.

The website has the job or internship listings exclusively for SMC. Students can build and upload their resumes on the website, and they can be searched by employers.

The Career Service Center also has business booklets regarding the different businesses that offer internships.

Once a student has found an internship, he or she must attend an internship orientation held on campus, and is then given a month to attend one of the orientation classes. The classes offer more information regarding internships, as well as assistance in building a resume and a cover letter.

SMC internship coordinator Judith White says that the Jobs4u website is updated continuously for students. White says that there is no definite way to know if all of the companies listed are legitimate, but 99 percent of the time they are.

"We look over each one, but there is no way to be 100 percent," she says.

White also says that the most popular majors for internships are for entertainment, fashion, communications and business. A few internships can be paid internships, but most are not. Depending on whether the student is being paid or not determines the hours per week that must be fulfilled.

For a one-unit class that is paid, a student must work for five hours each week, while an unpaid class requires four hours per week. For a two-unit paid class, a student must complete 15 hours each week, and for an unpaid two-unit class, a student must only complete eight hours a week.

SMC communications major Tatiana Cansino, who wants to work in the fashion industry, had a paid internship with a clothing company in the summer. She says the experience was valuable, and she liked the flexible schedule she was given.

"I was involved in various aspects of the clothing production process," she says.

Students are often encouraged to obtain an internship to gain experience in their career field. Some internships can also lead to a job when nearing the end.

SMC holds an internship fair every spring in May. Students in attendance can speak with business representatives about the internships offered, so students can be placed into an internship that is right for them.