As summer comes to an end, so do our summer internships.
Students all across the globe are excited to get back to school. They want to rejoin their own social and collegiate areas after working hard throughout the summer and gaining valuable exposure to real-world occupations. Most students have not yet realized their experiences lead to their own personal and professional growth.
While my time at Gensler was short, I focused on further developing my skill set, as well as pushing myself out of my comfort zone.
Benefits of a Broad Internship
With the vast number opportunities and challenges that I have experienced, this internship gave me experience in a variety of IT specializations. Now I know what I would (and wouldn’t) love to pursue outside of my academics.
Despite this, my current path hasn’t changed much. I feel that I have better defined my career path. I feel as though I can best apply my skills in a position focusing on analytics or information security. I am excited to further develop myself and continue to search for my own perfect niche within the IT field.
Professional Development
This year, I hope to learn new networking skills, as well as practice and expand my coding repertoire.
More importantly, I want to keep an open mind and to take opportunities as they appear. This can be either in the professional field, academics, or even at a networking event.
by Taylor Lucero
Opportunities pop-up when you can least expect them. You never know where you may end up!
Next Steps
As this summer comes to a close, it means I am entering into my senior year of college. I need to begin thinking about my future outside of Syracuse University. Do I want to go to graduate school? Do I want to go into the workforce as soon as I graduate? How do I prepare for my senior year?
Currently, my best option is to prepare for both graduate schools while also applying for jobs. After more thought and more understanding of where my options lie, I am hoping to make a sound decision regarding my future.
With this in mind, I need to prepare myself for the GRE, various applications and their requirements, as well as gather my professional materials and brush-up on my interviewing skills.
I have also been preparing to get certifications to help supplement my resume if my decision leads me to go straight into the workforce.
Be Open to Change
The most valuable lesson I have learned this summer would be to remain open-minded and never limit yourself to one idea. Go to events and meet a wide array of people. Try out new experiences. You may find out you absolutely hate a specific project or topic, but you will be one step closer to finding a position or an activity that allows you to thrive.
Change is the cornerstone of innovation. Without it, you will fall behind. Change a major part of not only the academic world but the professional world. If you are open, you will be ready for change and growth.
