Katherine Olives
A running joke amongst millennials is the excessive amount of experience you need to be qualified for an entry level position. It makes it frustrating for someone about to graduate college, who spent the last four years thinking they were preparing themselves for the real world, only to find out that it wasnt enough to land a job. Thats why we believe in giving students the opportunity to create hands on career experiences for themselves.
This past summer, we placed 35 outstanding CCNY student interns at innovative companies throughout the city. They said NO to fetching coffee and making copies in a lifeless office, and YES to at companies like Alice Financial, Bloomberg, Jean Martin, and Old Orchard Capital Management; organizations like the NYC DOT and NYC Louis Stokes Alliance; and startups like EV-Box, GlossGenius, Kinetic, Mobile Health, panOpen, Per Scholas, PS Department, SHADE, Source3 and Tapt. Some even worked at Zahn startups like Komb and VERIPAD.
Whether they were working in marketing or engineering, customer engagement or finance, interns played an important role in each of their positions. Some students assisted in the design of new products, others led social media efforts, and some conducted market research for startups in their earliest stages. Christina Tsangouri, a senior computer science major, developed an IOS app during her internship. The experience not only allowed her to develop new technical skills, but she practiced product management skills as well. I was given a lot of freedom, she said, which allowed her the confidence to make important decisions about the project on her own.
Another student, Gavin Gratson, said that he had the most empowering experience at his internship. Others said that being able to work outside of my field of expertise or major was the best part of the program because it allowed them to diversify their skills set.
In addition to gaining career experience, interns attended community building events spanning the course of the 10 weeks. These events allowed interns from all of the companies to meet new people, swap stories, and learn about the exciting work their peers were involved in. For Anna, the Internship Program Manager at the Zahn Innovation Center, this is the best part. Anyone can spend their summer working and gain new skills, but our students attend networking events, learn soft-skill development, and meet leaders in various industries. Ultimately, these €˜extra experiences make them much more marketable to employers when they graduate.
Since the summer, another 15 students have begun internships at social enterprises and non-profits for the Fall semester. And were now accepting applications for the Spring semester. If you want to enrich your college experience, we suggest you apply now by visiting our website. Last semester, we received a record 400 applications–so the sooner, the better. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until mid-January.
Visit zahncenternyc.com/internships for more specific information about the internship program and Spring placements! Feel free to email internship@zahncenternyc.com for any inquiries not answered on the Internship page.