College of Communications

The College of Communications has developed specific internship and career placement programs for its students. Start planning now for that spring or summer internship or if you are graduating, start developing strong job search strategies so that you are prepared to interview.

• Internships
• Career Placement & Other Resources

Internships (for-credit & paid internships)

The following internship informational meetings are scheduled for College of Comm students:

Internship Info Sessions
September 11, 6 PM in 113 Carnegie Building

September 13, 6 PM in 113 Carnegie Building

October 3, 6 PM, location TBD
(attend only one of the sessions)

You are strongly urged to attend one of these meetings if you are even remotely interested in doing an internship within the next year. If you are enrolled in the College of Communications, you will receive Career Advisor e-mail messages reminding you about these meetings or you can call 865-4349 for details. If you cannot attend one of the internship meetings, go on-line to http://www.psu.edu/dept/comm/undergrads/careers.html to receive the same information covered in the meeting.

After attending one of these meetings or reading the on-line version, you have the option of finding internship leads on your own or you can request a meeting with Bob Martin, assistant dean, Office of Internships and Career Placement, or his assistant, Colette Sacolick, by calling the number above. The College has a list of over 2400 registered internship locations that we can supply to you. Just go to http://www.psu.edu/dept/comm/undergrads/interninfo.html and click on list of internship locations to view the entire list. Please follow the directions listed to get the contact information we have about the internship location(s) you have requested. We will then meet with you to provide you with an effective search strategy on how to approach the internship leads you are pursuing.

Cover letter and resume assistance along with interviewing guidance is also available through our office in 208 Carnegie Building.

Career Placement & Other Resources

Many resources are directly available to communications students starting their job search. Here are some of the key resources available:

• Fall Career Days 2007- September 17-21, Bryce Jordan Center, The first of many opportunities to start meeting prospective employers. The College of Communications has teamed up with Career Services and 8 other colleges at Penn State to provide the most comprehensive list of employers ever put together for an on-campus job fair. Fall Career Days will focus on non-traditional job opportunities associated with communications, specifically, corporate positions as opposed to directly related positions within the communications industry. For example, you might find marketing positions in a corporate setting at Fall Career Days but you may not find many public relations firms recruiting for entry-level positions. I strongly urge you to make this event an initial part of your job search process and take advantage of this opportunity to pursue these types of corporate opportunities. This event is also an excellent opportunity to gain interview experience.

Looking for more traditional communications positions such as a television reporter? The College has developed three ways to establish a strong search and utilize the network of PSU alumni to your advantage.

• JobExpo.Comm 2008- March 28, 2008, 9 a.m.- 2 p.m., HUB's Alumni Hall, This communications-specific career fair will focus on entry-level jobs and internships in newspapers, telecommunications, broadcasting, film, advertising, public relations and much more. Additional information will be provided to you as we approach the event.
• “Success in the City” 2008- April 11, 2008 Noon- 5 p.m., New York City, Our second communications-specific career fair is in its fifth year for this event and it primarily focuses on advertising, public relations, television, film and publishing/reporting opportunities. Last year’s event was a phenomenal success and we hope to improve on the success of this event.
• COMM CAREER ALERTS job posting site- Our communications-specific job posting web site. You will find communications-specific positions that have recently been sent to us from friends and alumni of Penn State. You will also find archived positions and contact information for jobs that were previously posted on the site. To access the Comm Career Alerts job site just go to: http://nexus.soc.psu.edu/jobs. Type in User Name: Nittany (case sensitive) Password: Lion (also case sensitive) Go to a specific category (Ex. Print), and then go to the sub category (Reporter); Then press GO. It will provide you with a complete list of reporter positions we have received.
• College of Communications Alumni/Mentor Program- The College has also set up its own mentor program designed to give you an opportunity to network with a professional within your field. Contact Mike Poorman, director of alumni relations, for more information at 865-3938. Career Services also offers a mentor program called Lion Link that offers alumni career coaches who can provide you with information and advice about jobs and careers. You can register for a networking opportunity via LionLink's web site at www.lionlink.psu.edu.

The initial building blocks to a successful job search can be obtained when you combine all of the job and network seeking strategies listed above. Specific career counseling is also available to you through 208 Carnegie Building or through Career Services. We offer job search strategies, resume and cover letter critiquing, interview role playing and additional job leads and contacts. Your opportunity to elevate your job search awaits you and now is the time to develop a sound plan.