Looking for a Job? First, Build Professional Experience
Show what you have learned beyond the classroom by taking on internships, networking and shadowing people in your field of study.
Perfection is never necessary when it comes to applying for career opportunities, but demonstrating who you are and what skills you can offer a new employer is what makes an applicant stand out during the job search process.
Career Services offers two programs – Startups2Students (S2S) and the Public Interest Internship Experience (PIIE) – that are aimed at partnering students and alumni with potential employers so they can build professional industry experience as an intern or entry-level employee.
Boulder is a hub of economic opportunity for corporations and local startups. Of the 8,000 employers that reside in Boulder, 96% of those 8,000 employers have less than 50 employees, according to the Boulder Economic Council. The University of Colorado Boulder partners with startups to further support innovation within the Boulder Community.
Career Services and the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative are hosting the next Startups2Students event on Wednesday, April 10 from 5-7:30 p.m. where startups will pitch their business and upcoming projects to students with the possibility of hiring students and alumni as interns or employees.
Jerome Hittle, the CEO of Amplified Space, has interacted with students through S2S before and he looks forward to pitching the importance of aerospace engineering to eager undergraduates, graduates and alumni.
“I want to know you’re invested in my company. I want to know that you’re interested in my company. And the best way to do that is to tell you about my company,” Hittle said.
Unlike traditional job fairs where students hope the companies they interact with will hold on to their resume and keep them in mind for future opportunities, S2S opens up career conversations about what drives students’ career interests and how local startups share the same goals and what actions these startups are taking to achieve it.
“We do always plan to hire students and have students involved with Amplified Space. In fact, we did,” Hittle said.
In the fall of 2023, Hittle was approached by a student during S2S and found his previous hands-on experience, teamwork mentality, passion about engineering and drive to learn more about Amplified Space made the student stand out above the rest. Hittle kept the student in mind and Hittle offered him a full-time role upon his graduation.
Exploring what is possible within or beyond your major opens doors to jobs you would never have imagined being interested in. The PIIE program fulfullies students’ interest and curiosity when it comes to working for non-profit organizations and government agencies through a paid internship opportunity.
Ashley Castillo (Psych, Engl’25) is driven by her desire to help others through bettering her community. This led her to the PIIE program and landed her an internship opportunity with the I Have a Dream Foundation.
“It’s good to learn about jobs that you’ve never considered before … It was a nice perspective on what it takes to be a teacher and how much patience and understanding you need to have,” Castillo said.
Although a teaching role is not what Castillo is after, she was still able to network with her former employer and co-workers to open up opportunities for a different role within the I Have a Dream Foundation or a role in a different non-profit organization.
Tzigane Martin (IntlAf, EnvSt’20) participated in the PIIE program as an asset management intern for Nature Conservancy.
“[The PIIE Program] helped build my confidence in the skills that I had and showed me that I could be doing more,” Martin said.
Martin developed problem solving and collaboration skills while interning for the Nature Conservatory. As an intern, Martin had the freedom to explore the environment with a peer, but working together was key to finding the correct reserve location and collecting the right information without constant manager supervision.
The PIIE program application is open now. Applications must be submitted by Sunday, Feb. 18 at 11:59 p.m. to meet the deadline. Those who are selected and successfully complete the interviewing phase with employers will be awarded an internship and a stipend of $7,560. The payout will occur on a monthly or biweekly basis, and the intern must complete a total of 360 work hours, or nine to 12 weeks of work, to receive the full stipend.
Career Services is here to support students and alumni through the job search process, and one of the most important steps in gaining industry experience. Through paid and unpaid internships, one can build not only familiarity with their desired career but the skill necessary to stand out and land future job opportunities.
“We talked a lot about how I could stay connected with the [students] and volunteer … So I met a lot of people that definitely gave me some ideas for my future,” Castillo said.