It hardly seems possible, but registration week is already here. Didn’t we just start the fall semester?
Advising students during the last few weeks has been challenging, as always, but it’s a great opportunity for me to talk one-on-one with students about their plans for the future, both next semester and beyond. For some, the spring semester will be their last at Loyola. These graduating seniors all remark on how quickly the four years have flown by. And while they’re ready to go out and DO what they’ve been learning how to do, they’re a little anxious about the prospects of facing that new world.
I have a tradition of sending towels to my favorite people as they move into new worlds (usually just after high school graduation). It grew out of my experience reading “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” The lesson? Never go anywhere in the universe without your towel, which has many uses. I think anyone heading out to a new universe should be given our best wishes – and a new towel – to start them on their way. Loyola has given these soon-to-be-graduates a metaphorical towel: the skills and knowledge to head into the future, prepared for whatever they might encounter.
One of the experiences that helps build those useful skills is an internship, and the SMC believes very strongly in the value of a professional, hands-on internship (several, in fact). We offer an internship class that includes in-depth examination of the tactical aspects of the search for the great internship, as well as the tools you need to get one (résumé, portfolio, interview prep, proper attire, professional behavior, corporate culture).
Beyond that, we sponsor our annual internship fair each November, creating a comfortable, (business) casual environment in which all-important connections can be made for future internships. NETWORKING NIGHT AT LOYOLA will be held Tuesday, Nov. 8, 6-8 p.m. in Studio A. This year’s Networking Night team – Deidre Gallagher, Danielle Latimer and Allison McElligott – has put together a great event, stretching their own professional skills as they work to bring students and professionals together. Professionals representing media and mass communication-related industries will be there to talk about what they can offer by way of internships. We encourage all students who are interested in media and mass comm to visit with us during Networking Night. (No RSVP – or towel – required!)
