“How do I find an internship,” is a common question students ask. Whether a new professional or not, it can be intimidating to search for an internship. Class of 2023 alumni Julia Connolly and Cassian La Bounty share how they identified internships while students at Illinois State University and how those experiences impacted their career growth.
How did you find your internship?
“I knew that I wanted to find a job on campus, so I looked through the Illinois State job postings. I applied to a couple of jobs before I was given an opportunity to interview with Career Services for their digital media internship,” said Connolly, a graduate of the School of Communication.
La Bounty, a Wonsook Kim School of Art alum, found his internship by utilizing the resources offered to him. “Go to the internship fairs! You don’t even have to accept any of the offers you get, but the experience of going and networking with potential employers is extremely helpful no matter what your major is.” La Bounty found his internship by attending the Graphic Design Internship Fair. The event was virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he still landed an internship, which lasted three years.
alum Cassian La Bounty ’23
What are the top three skills you learned throughout your internship?
“I learned time management, organization, and attention to detail,” said Connolly. “While working in digital media, there were skills that I knew I needed more practice with. Through my internship, I was able to practice these skills every day. Now I can say I am proficient in every single one of them.”
“Effective time management is the biggest skill I learned. Then I’d say organizational skills are next, and communication/networking for the third,” said La Bounty. All of the skills that he and Connolly gained throughout their internships helped set them up for their future careers. In fact, most employers want to see that you can apply the skills you’ve learned.
How do you feel now that your internship has ended?
“I’m sad about leaving. This internship ended up being one of the best experiences I had throughout my past four years at ISU. I learned how to go out of my comfort zone, I met some amazing people, and I learned so much about myself. It’s definitely going to be hard to say goodbye,” said Connolly.
“Without Career Services, I believe 100 percent that I would not have graduated. I can’t thank them enough for the opportunity to grow and learn over the years. It’s going to be sad to leave such an amazing place. I hope they don’t get sick of me dropping in every now and then,” said La Bounty.
Connolly and La Bounty gained experiences they didn’t believe would be possible by taking a chance and applying for internships. As they leave Illinois State, they both stated they will always refer back to these amazing experiences and the skills they learned during their first internships.
