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Miami Students and their ‘cool’ internships: What are they and how to get them

Teryn Scott participated in a research project in Zambia, studying water contamination in peri-urban communities.
Teryn Scott participated in a research project in Zambia, studying water contamination in peri-urban communities.

Some students spend their summers working at their high school jobs in their hometowns. Others at Miami University stick around in Oxford and take more classes.

Teryn Scott, meanwhile, spent her summer in Zambia.

“I participated in a research project … designed to study water contamination in peri-urban communities,” Scott said. “What we are doing is going into those communities and testing the water for bacteria.”

From working  across the Arctic Ocean at UNICEF in Switzerland or at Warner Bros in California, the internship opportunities for Miami students are endless.

Erin Dunn, the assistant director of internships in the Center for Career Exploration and Success, said last summer Miami students interned in more than 3o different states and countries.

“They work in D.C. at different offices or in state capitals,” Dunn said. “We have interns at Tesla, Deloitte, PNG and more. This includes a lot of cool local work in the Oxford and Cincinnati areas, as well.”

Luke West Poley, a sophomore journalism and strategic communications double major, spent his summer interning on the east coast.

West Poley is a team broadcaster for the Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox, which is a summer collegiate baseball team. The top college baseball talents from around the country come to Massachusetts to play in the league.

“It simulates a professional environment,” West Poley said. “You play six days a week, use wooden bats and you play in front of a bunch of MLB scouts.” 

West Poley’s specific role is centered around the broadcasting requirements of a “mock MLB” league.

“I get up and do my broadcast preparation in the morning … I’ll look into our opponent … know basic biographical information about each guy, and then … we go on air and start actually calling the games,” West Poley said.

Dunn said students in more than 100 different majors have internships across the country each year, and the option to go abroad for summer opportunities is growing.

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“Every year, we see more students go abroad,” Dunn said. “We have students working in Zambia on water resources and Switzerland with UNICEF.”

Dunn said students can start their search for summer internships at Miami’s Center for Career Exploration and Success. Beyond helping students with resources, the center also holds a number of career fairs and other events to get students started on their professional journeys.

“We host many different events to help students connect with employers,” Dunn said. “[Some of these include] networking events and career fairs. Students also find opportunities on Handshake or through other connections, and then we will help them polish their resumes and work on their interview skills.”

If students are looking for an internship next summer, they don’t have to wait until the spring semester to start applying. In an email to The Miami Student, Jennifer Benz, Assistant VP of Career Exploration and Success, wrote that some recruiters start looking for students to fill summer roles as early as September.

The best way to prepare for next summer, Benz wrote, is to have your résumé employer-ready by the previous spring.

reieram@miamioh.edu