For some students who participated in Career Services' Internship and Co-op Program, the experience led to jobs at high-profile employers
Nick Brener always loved hockey.
“My dad used to own and operate ice rinks while I was growing up,” he said.
And now the 2009 Rutgers graduate has his dream job: marketing coordinator with the New York Rangers. “It couldn’t have worked out any better,” he said. “I’m ecstatic.”
As an undergraduate on the New Brunswick Campus, Brener had prepared for his career in the expected way: taking courses in communications and public relations. But he also took one crucial, extra step that was instrumental in helping him land the Rangers job: he participated in Rutgers’ new Internship & Co-op Program.
The program, sponsored by Career Services and the School of Arts and Sciences, was rolled out in fall 2008, giving all New Brunswick students, for the first time, an opportunity to get hands-on, work experience in a field of their choice. Starting with 29 interns, the program has enrolled about 700 students who have been placed with about 200 employers from varous industries.
The program marks a significant step for Rutgers because previously only some of the university’s schools and departments had a formal internship or co-op program. Now, any eligible undergraduate in New Brunswick, regardless of major, can experience what it’s like to go to work, even if it’s not directly connected to their major, for academic credit.
“Rutgers agreed that we need to have something that would be available to all students, regardless of which schools they were in,” said Tammy Samuels, a career management specialist who oversees the program.
Kholud Dardir, 22, was on the verge of settling for an entry-level job that was far less than her ideal after graduating from Rutgers last spring. But because of her Career Services internships at major corporations like Exxon Mobil and Colgate-Palmolive, she was able to land a coveted spot at Pfizer as a stability analyst, testing and researching products.
"I got a much better opportunity than what I was about to accept,'' said Dardir, who majored in chemistry. "I don't think I would have gotten this job if I didn't do the job at Colgate. I had experience. A lot of what I learned I'm using now.''
Typically, a co-op requires a six-month commitment in which the student works full time during the academic year and receives pay as well as six academic credits. Internships are more flexible: Students receive three credits for working at least 180 hours on a part-time basis during the fall, spring, or summer semesters. Internships may be paid or unpaid.
Despite their differences, both programs have a common aim.
“Interns and co-ops are able to identify or confirm what they want to do, while others may realize what they don’t want to do,” Samuels said. “But nonetheless, the experience they are able to get before they graduate makes them much more competitive than a students who have no work experience.”
Samuels, a 1998 Rutgers graduate, knows firsthand the value of such programs. She interned for three summers with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, learning all aspects of the business. But in her senior year, she wanted a different experience and opted for a summer job as a counselor for a college recreation program.
“And that was how I segued into higher education because it was through that program that I initiated contacts in higher ed,” she said. “So, everything happens for a reason.”
Paloma Feliciano, a 2009 graduate, agrees. She worked as a co-op last year in the procurement division of Johnson & Johnson and, toward the end of her placement, was offered and accepted a job as a public relations associate in the division which oversees oral care products.
Although her co-op was more focused on IT and internal communications than her current position, she said the experience was essential in helping her land the job.
“I wouldn’t recommend anyone leaving college without an internship or co-op,” Feliciano said. Indeed, a recent study by the John J. Heldrich Center at Rutgers calculated value of an internship. Students who completed internships during the course of their degrees earned a median salary $6,680 higher than those who did not.
“College students generally don’t know what to expect when they begin their careers, and they get overwhelmed," Feliciano said. My experience made it that much easier to transition into what I am doing now.”
Eligible students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.75, and 30 credits, including a minimum of 12 credits at Rutgers. Students also must have been enrolled with a minimum of six credits the previous semester.
Students say they’re impressed by how quickly and efficiently Samuels’ office went to bat for them.
In the fall of 2008, Brener was completing an internship with the Rangers, which he had arranged through other channels, when his supervisor at the office asked him to stay on. It was then that he approached Career Services to see what his options were.
“Through Tammy, I was able to get into a co-op and continue working for the Rangers through May of 2009,” Brener said. “It was perfect timing, because from there I had my interview and started in my job on June 1.”
Although he was always certain of his career goals, Brener said the co-op deepened his understanding of the day-to-day realities of the job, and it allowed him to show managers his skills and work ethic. During the co-op, as in his job, he was involved in many marketing projects, from helping out on ‘signing days,’ when players autograph promotional items, to coordinating events with the “Blueshirts United” community of Ranger fans.
But one part of the job he particularly treasures is working with the Garden of Dreams Foundation, which arranges for players to go out in the community supporting children in crisis. In one recent event, a disabled, 8-year-old boy and his family were given the VIP treatment – including being able to meet star players - at a Rangers’ practice and at a game the next night at Madison Square Garden.
“To be part of a team helping to make these experiences real is incredibly satisfying,” Brener said.
Updated August 2011