Not all Ball State University academic departments require internships, but more students have enrolled for internship credit this fall compared with last year, said Sheila Spisak, associate director of the Career Center.
In Fall 2004, 267 students enrolled for internship credit with the Career Center, while more than 337 students enrolled this fall, Spisak said.
A total of 1,200 students enrolled for internship credit last year, while about 925 so far have enrolled this academic year, she said.
"These numbers are on track to at least meet and possibly exceed last year's numbers for enrollment credit," Spisak said.
Most students search for internships throughout Indiana or in the Midwest, although several students recently did internships in areas such as Chicago, Florida, California, Texas and Mississippi.
As more students realize the benefits of completing an internship or other immersion experience, they should consider pursuing work experiences locally, she said.
"Students shouldn't discount what is in their backyard," Spisak said.
By pursuing an internship in Muncie, students could more easily combine their professional work with their coursework during the Fall and Spring semesters, thus allowing for more flexibility when scheduling classes, Spisak said. A local internship would also help students who have local apartment or rental home leases over the summer, she said.
"It would help with the expense of not having to pay rent here as well as in another locale," Spisak said, "or having to make sure the contract that has been signed for their house is being met even when they are not there doing an internship."
Several local businesses employed students last spring and summer, including Rutter Communications Network Inc., Standt's Fine Jewelry, First Merchants Bank, Wal-Mart, Studio 22 Private Fitness and Jarden Home Brands, Spisak said.
Jarden Home Brands hired seven Ball State interns last summer in several areas, including finance, marketing, sales, business supply chain, human resources and information technology, Stephanie Reno, human resources specialist, said. Based in Muncie, Jarden Home Brands is a $250 million company that belongs to the $3.4 billion Jarden Corp., she said.
"What we're really trying to do is invest in local talent, trying to keep students here in the community," Reno said. "It allows us to dig into a diversified pool of candidates and lets us bring them in and develop them to keep them here."
One student was hired for a permanent full-time position following his internship, she said.
"I just think they should not overlook the possibilities that are here in Muncie," Reno said. "I just think that students don't even think to look here before they go to Indianapolis."
Studio 22 Private Fitness last spring also hired an intern majoring in exercise science and minoring in marketing. The studio also offers required practicum hours and has two full-time Ball State student employees, Brad Warner, owner and manager, said.
"I assume a lot of Ball State students are from Indiana and are probably going to stay in the area," Warner said. "They will probably get a good idea of what personal training in this state is like."
Spisak said she encouraged students not to procrastinate with their internship search. Cardinal ViewJobs lists only paid internships, and individual academic departments can also help students to prepare for their future work experiences, Spisak said.
"The worst thing they can do as in any job search is to put it off and procrastinate," Spisak said. "We look at internships as the first professional job search, and it should be treated that way."
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