Research/Internship Preparation, Process, and Progress Post

    Experiential learning, such as research or internships, is vital for preparation for entering the workforce because it gives you exposure to the industry you are trying to enter. Getting exposure from working in the industry you're studying in will provide good insight in how you have to prepare for future employment. Since with this exposure you'll experience an overlap in what you know and what you don't know. What you don't know will require you to learn and train for these new skills and tools that are expected for you to have competency in; while what you do know requires this knowledge to be honed and almost a second nature.

    How you go about finding these research experiences or internships is entirely to your discretion as different methods work for different people. Some people are really good at social media and can likely land an internship or get an invitation to a research event on LinkedIn. For others they could have used Indeed and job hunted for potential internships in their area. At least from my experience, I've had a lot of good results from Handshake via ASU. ASU does a good job in preparing students for job hunting and getting into these events via Career Services. The resources that have been helpful are Handshake, Forage, and the ASU newsletters (emails).

    As I mentioned with my success with Handshake, I've managed to secure an internship with for Spring and Summer 2024. For my Spring 2024 internship, I'm an intern at Glendale Community College and what is expected of me is to teach a lesson in my field of study and help GCC in creating an activity around my area of study for their STEM Day event. So far I have to say I learned a lot about cybersecurity, though this is probably because I got lucky with the instructor that I was assigned to work with as an intern. My instructor, Martin Bencic, is an awesome guy that is responsible for essentially revamping the cybersecurity program at GCC. This is because when he was hired by GCC he saw what changes had to be done and fully revamped the program, down from the workstations to the instructors themselves. Now the program is thriving and strives for the goal of getting their students, upon graduation, into the workforce and being seen as proficient within 45 days as opposed to the traditional 90 days. As a result he was able to lend me many different resources of information that I didn't know about.

    I would definitely recommend this program to any other STEM majors, because not only is my experience going well but even my other two fellow interns have been having fun with their instructors and planning their activities. This experience so far has been beneficial in not only providing more knowledge of my field of study, but also in providing resources to us interns and networking to many different individuals within our field. I've gotten to know not only many people within cybersecurity in the Maricopa Community College system, but also many individuals in GCC's administration and career services. As for what has been challenging about this internship is more or less the logistics of managing my attendance for GCC and other work/life balances I have currently. Luckily since it's a new program they're trying out, they only require us to work 8-10 hours which for the time being is manageable now. As for the content, it can be challenging but it is also fun and rewarding so I don't see it as much as a burden. The most rewarding part of this whole experience so far has been working in a positive environment that facilitates the willingness to learn and strive to do more, not only personally but for the community as well.

    For incoming TraIN Scholars, I'd definitely say make a LinkedIn ASAP. This is because many events, either local or nationally, are announced on LinkedIn and having a profile already will make connecting with recruiters or influential people within your field of study. This not only allows you more opportunities to get into your field but it provides more exposure too. Handshake is also a good resource and it's a good option if you want to focus more so on local events, internet events or local internships and even jobs. I've had good experiences with Handshake, but it is crucial that you have a good resume with both your LinkedIn and Handshake, as you can auto apply to jobs with your resume uploaded.

    As for an additional encouragement to seek, the only advice worth giving is believing in yourself. You are the only person that'll know your limits and what you are capable of what you aren't capable of. Considering you're a TraIN scholar, it's clear you have the grades so now it's just a means of marketing yourself and showing that you know what you learned, this can be through projects of your own or even experiences that showcase a desired skillset. So don't be afraid go for your goals!