Students at College of the Desert had the chance to explore paid internships and connect with over 40 employers during the Career and Internship Fair on Wednesday, Oct. 2, hosted by the Career and Workforce Solutions Center and the College of the Desert Foundation.
The Career and Internship fair took place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Palm Desert campus gymnasium. Participants were provided with a complimentary taco truck.
This is the first time that the Career Fair has included paid internships.
Anna Hernandez, the Adjunct Foster Youth Counselor and Work Experience Instructor at College of the Desert, noted that including internship opportunities at the fair is essential for students. “Internships are very valuable for our students because they have an opportunity to practice exactly what they’re learning in the classroom in an educational environment out in the workplace,” she said. Through the Work Experience Program enrollment, students can also earn college credit while working or doing an internship.
The internship opportunities provided at the Career and Internship fair create a pathway for students to launch their careers. Mireya Holguin, a student at COD and a Promotions Producer at KESQ News Channel 3, began as an intern through the COD Foundation and now has a permanent position. Her advice to students is to take initiative. “Taking the initiative is important…there are many opportunities out there and people willing to teach you, you just gotta go out there and get it,” she said.
This Career and Internship Fair also introduced a new initiative called the “Power of Five.” The chair of the board of trustees and interim COD President, Laura Hope, launched a new initiative to ask five different employers to take on five interns. Through that program, the COD Foundation will support interns through internship scholarships. Scholarships will be equivalent to a living wage. They’ll be able to pay for tuition, books, and life expenses. The first employers to join the Power of Five program include the McCallum Theatre, Agua Caliente, KESQ, The Living Desert, and the Imperial Irrigation District. Palm Springs Life is also a part of the program but was not at the career fair.
Catherine Abbott, the Executive Director of the College of the Desert Foundation, said that this new program really gives local employers the opportunity to connect with students in a way that has never been possible before.
“We have employers that all the time come to COD and they ask us, ‘How can we partner, how can we engage?’ and we’ve never had a place to put that before, but now through the Power of Five Program, we have a way for employers to be connected to College of the Desert,” she said.
The College of the Desert Career Fairs are held twice a year during the spring and fall semesters. These fairs offer 8, 12, and 16-week internships and allow students to interact with employers and possibly have an on-the-spot interview with them.
The fair organizers encourage students and employers to stay active in our official job board, “Handshake,” which students also had to register for before entering the Career and Internship Fair.
The Career Center at College of the Desert is a good place to start. College of the Desert offers many resources for students looking to launch their careers.
The next Career Fair will take place during the spring semester. Roadrunners, keep your eyes out for updates and opportunities
