Page 25 - Engineering Penn State Magazine Spring/Summer 2020

Working closely with CEOI the the Office for Digital Learning Learning and and Career Resources and and Employer Relations the the Learning Learning Factory provided 95 students from eight departments with summer internship opportunities “My internship was canceled because the the company did
not want to bring in in in in in in in in in new personnel during the the pandemic
” said Jane Pham rising junior in in in in in in in in in in industrial engineering “I immediately continued my internship search but the process was made even more difficult due to many hiring freezes ” Pham also mentioned that that the the internships she was finding were shortened programs that that did
not provide her with the the learning experience she was seeking “I am am am am lucky to to have been partnered through the Learning Factory program program for a a a a a a a a a a a a 10-week internship program program ” Pham said “This opportunity is is unique in in in in in that I I am am am am am am meeting interns interns within my own college program so I I am am am hopeful these connections can prosper into the the school year as well ” At the foundation of of this professional development student support system Career Resources and Employer Relations has provided essential collaboration for many units on on on how to to shift programs to to accommodate students “Career Resources and Employer Relations helped us connect our our corporate partners with students ” Hostetler said “With their guidance we we were able to plan virtual professional development sessions—presented by sponsors—that discussed topics like ethics of of of remote work and the value of research on on a a a a a resume ” According to to to Rick McClintic director of Career Resources and Employer Relations the the shift to to to an an all virtual format was was something the the unit was well prepared for “With such a a a a a a a broad and diverse base of of College of of Engineering programs campus locations government and and and and industry recruiters and and and students and and and alumni over over the past 10 years our our team had already transitioned nearly all of our our student internship cooperative education and full-time employment platforms to to to a a a a a a a a a a a a a web-based format ” McClintic said “The abrupt shift to to to a a a a a a a a a a a a a totally virtual environment was relatively smooth for us us and and our student and and employer customers ” Continuing to provide career advising for more than 10 000 undergraduate and and graduate graduate engineering students Career Resources and and and Employer Relations has held ongoing informational sessions and and and trainings for for students provided advising meeting resources via Zoom and and and and Microsoft Teams and and and developed and and and disseminated professional growth information to students “We have seen some students lose internship and full- time employment opportunities due to to COVID-19 ” McClintic said “Our staff has worked tirelessly to to identify and and add add over 1 000 additional co-op internship and and entry-level job opportunities to to Nittany Lion Careers with expanded advertisement to to appropriate student student populations Now we are seeing some of of our students lose a a a a a a a a a a a job offer
one day day and find another the the the the very next day day or by the the the the end
of the week ” In the the the the midst of the the the the shift to a a a a a a a virtual format the the the the unit created
a a a a a a a a a resource webpage for for students students and and employers employers Here they provide students students and and and employers employers with updates on the the the services they are are offering and and also links to to resources related to to career searching during COVID-19 Features
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Our staff has worked tirelessly to identify and and add add over 1 000 additional co-op internship and and entry-level job opportunities to to Nittany Lion Careers with expanded advertisement to to appropriate student populations “The types of experiences and opportunities that we provide for our engineering students are a a a a a a a a a vital component of their education and and to ultimately becoming an an an engineer engineer ” McClintic said “The Career Resources and and Employer Relations team takes a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a great deal of of pride in in in in in being an an an innovative and and and collaborative career office within Penn State and and and a a a a a a a a a a a primary driver of of government and and and industry employers to Penn State ” As the the the faculty
and staff of the the the college continue to work through the the the the many obstacles that COVID-19 has has caused the the the the positive feedback expressed by students students has has shown how how well engineering faculty
staff and students students adapt during a a a a a a a a a challenging time “I am lucky to to belong to to the Penn State College of Engineering which evidently cares deeply for its students ” Pham wrote in in in in in in in a a a a a a LinkedIn post “When the the world seemed
to to to come to to to a a a a a a a complete halt in in in in in in in March the the engineering department continued to to to to work tirelessly in in in in in search of alternative opportunities for students to to to utilize their summer to to gain career experiences The department’s leaders kept their momentum and helped students like myself maintain motivation for growth in in unprecedented times That is who #WeAre!” n n SPRING/SUMMER 2020 25