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Internships for Web Design Students |
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How to get a job without experience? How to get experience without a job? This classic dilemma for students has been addressed through the Southwestern College School of Business’s new internship programs. A web-design resume is not credible if it does not contain at least three working websites with live URL's. In order to develop our student’s portfolios and as a way to get them started on the career ladder, we’ve created partnerships where our students make real websites with real companies in our community.
The students first complete their web design courses. Then they volunteer for the VTEA-funded work experience internship program designed by our Dean of the School of Business, Irma Alvarez. The teacher, the student employment office, or the student finds an appropriate job. Then the student enrolls in the Work Experience class (online or on campus). This once-a week class helps students to perfect their portfolios, interviewing techniques, and job performance skills. At the same time, a close-knit team is formed with the employer, the student, the web design and work experience teachers, and the VTEA internship coordinator. This internship team makes sure that the employer’s project is finished to their satisfaction and that the student’s time is well-spent on the job. The teachers are there to help with technical or personal aspects of the internship.
Some of these internships are paid; others are not. The student receives college credits according to the number of hours they’ve worked. The student also receives a letter of recommendation from the employer and from the college. Hopefully, the student will receive a job offer from the employer and they will also have another live site to validate their resume. I’ve had eleven students successfully complete such an internship. They have all been hired subsequently.
Contact_FullName: Kathleen Canney Lopez Contact_Title: Professor, Computer Information Systems Contact_Organization: Southwestern College Contact_FAX: 619-421-6700 Contact_Email: klopez@swccd.edu Contact_URL:
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