The end of the semester is near, and summer is on its way. Interning could be a meaningful way to pass the summer time boredom.There are many internships that are available to Nicholls students. Many of them are out-of-state with big companies, according to Kristy Tauzin, director of career services.

“The key element to finding an internship is to find a place where you would want to work someday,” Tauzin said. “Go find a company you might want to work for after you graduate.”

A student should find an internship that pertains to his or her major. This gives the student knowledge and experience of his or her career-to-be. Volunteering time could also be a good way to find an internship that could turn into a full time job, according to Tauzin.

“What the student is giving themselves is an opportunity to see how good they could be as productive members of that business,” Tauzin said. “Hands-on learning is just as important as what the student learns at school.”

The best thing for the student to do, according to Tauzin, is to call the company and find out if an internship program is available, if it is paid or not and any other benefits that can possibly come out of it.

Internships can be very valuable, according to Tauzin. It gives the students the opportunity to work with the same caliber of people they will be working with in the future.

“Even if it’s not a paid internship, the student is exposed to people that he or she would never have had the chance to meet or interact with,” Tauzin said. “Sometimes that’s more important than the money that could be made.”

The Office of Career Services can help any student who is looking for an internship. Some colleges offer different rules about internships. In some cases, an internship could count as a credit for the student, according to Tauzin.

“In those cases the student won’t get paid,” Tauzin said. “The student will go out, get the experience, write a report about his or her experiences and then get the school’s credit for it.”

Tauzin is willing to help any student with finding the right internship.

“(We) can hopefully guide the student in the right direction,” Tauzin said. “The best thing I can tell students to do is find a place that will take him or her in and provide the experience that will add to the student’s resume and life experiences.”

Students interested in an internship this summer or at any time can contact Career Services at 448-4508 for more information.