Vijay Kalaga, a University of Memphis senior majoring inmanagement information systems and finance, is putting hiseducation to work with an internship this semester, and he'scounting on it to lead to a job.
"My internship has given me the experience of actually doing thejob that I would be doing in the future," said Kalaga, 26.
Kalaga interned over the summer at NBC Capitol Markets Groupthrough the Fogelman College of Business and Economics and willcontinue this semester.
"A faculty member received an e-mail about an internship in myfield and forwarded it to me," he said. "I went through two roundsof interviews, similar to a job interview, and I still workhere."
Students who make an effort to intern in their field of studyare better off than some who may not, officials said.
Karen Hayes, director of Career and Employment Services, hasmany reasons why students should look to internshipopportunities.
"An internship serves as an early introduction to the businessworld that awaits them upon graduation," she said. "It allows youto acquire practical and meaningful work experience, to improveyour verbal and communication skills and to increase yourmarketability and value to employers."
According to the Bureau of Business and Economic Research,number one on the list of what employers want out of a new recruitis experience through internships, Hayes said.
The University of Memphis is trying to help students in theirsearch for internship opportunities with the opening of aninternship office, which is still in the planning stages. But itwill be located in Career and Employment Services, under thedirection of Hayes, said Marie Dockter, director of AcademicAffairs.
"We want to have a central place where students can findinternships," Dockter said. "It will also provide a way for peoplein the community to get notice to The University if they wantinterns."
Lydia Jividen, 20-year-old junior finance major, used herinternship as an opportunity to get a future job connection.
"I met a representative from First Tennessee on campus, and shetold me about opportunities at the bank," Jividen said. "I told herabout my major, and I applied online for an underclassmen program.The rest is history."
Internships offer experience and job opportunities, but manyinternships also include perks.
Jividen had the chance to meet other interns and attendfunctions, including Memphis Redbirds games, and reap the morevaluable benefits of developing business contacts andnetworking.
"I had a blast," Jividen said. "And next year I get to go backand work in my actual department, not as a retail intern (teller),but the finance department."
