This article appeared in a May 2017 issue of the student newsletter.
What do employers look for when evaluating graduates for hire? Their GPA? Service in the community? The name of the college they attended?
According to many surveys, the answer is internships. Above all else, employers want to hire graduates with on-the-job experience, whether that experience is in their industry or another sector. And they want candidates with strong soft skills (like communication) and emotional intelligence.
mINiTERN Program
Most companies seek juniors and seniors as interns. That is not the case with Sharyland Utilities. The electric company has a unique partnership with Dallas Community Colleges that allows students attending DCCCD schools to get their foot in the door and secure work experience.
Known as mINiTERN, the 10-week internship program provides students with real-world business skills. Student interns work together as a consulting team to evaluate a specific issue. Company employees at Sharyland Utilities act as project SME (subject matter experts) and meet with interns each week to hear their project plans and answer any questions. The internship program concludes with a formal presentation of each intern group's analysis and strategic recommendations.
Program Requirements
To apply for the mINiTERN program, you must:
- Be a current DCCCD student (attending classes in Spring 2017 semester)
- Have completed at least 30 credit hours of college-level course work
- Have a strong desire to gain professional skills and experience
- Be available Monday in June and July from 1 – 5 p.m. and some Wednesdays (full schedule below)
- Be able to handle the commitment of four to six hours of work per week
Apply Today
Applications for the mINiTERN program are due Wednesday, May 17, 2017. To apply, send a professional email to Michael Bailey at
michaelb@dcccd.edu.
In your email, include:
- Your full name
- Your email and phone number
- Your college
- Your intended major/field of study
- The total number of college credits you earned as of the end of Spring 2017
- Your current GPA
- A short paragraph explaining 1) why you want to do the mini-internship, 2) why you believe you would be a good candidate and 3) how you think you will be able to handle the additional workload.
- A brief statement that you reviewed the program calendar and can make most, if not all, of the meetings
Before emailing your application, be sure to check for proper language use and grammar. Also, make sure the email is formatted like a business letter.
Career Services can help you if you need assistance with your application. They can also help you create or enhance your resume, which you have the option to attach to your mINiTERN email application.
mINiTERN Schedule for Summer 2017
|
Date |
Location |
Meeting Type |
Time |
Monday, May 22
OR Wednesday, May 31
***TBD*** | Brookhaven College | Program Orientation | TBD |
| Monday, June 5 | Sharyland/ Downtown | Kick-Off/Intro | 2 – 3:30 p.m. |
| Monday, June 12 | Brookhaven/ Conf Call | RFI Discussion | 2 – 3 p.m. |
| Monday, June 19 | Sharyland/ Downtown | Presentation Skills Part 1 | 1:30 – 4 p.m. |
| Monday, June 26 | Brookhaven/ Conf Call | RFI Discussion | 2 – 3 p.m. |
|
Wednesday, July 5 | Brookhaven/ Conf Call | RFI Discussion | 2 – 3 p.m. |
| Monday, July 10 | Brookhaven/ Conf Call | RFI Discussion | 2 – 3 p.m. |
| Monday, July 17 | Sharyland/ Downtown | Presentation Skills Part 2 | 1:30 – 4 p.m. |
| Monday, July 24 | Brookhaven/ Conf Call | RFI Discussion | 2 – 3 p.m. |
Monday, July 31
OR Wednesday, Aug. 8
***TBD*** | Sharyland/ Downtown | Final Presentations | 1 – 5 p.m. |
mINiTERN Program News
Looking for past news stories about the mINiTERN program? Here are a few of our favorites!