Newswise — KEUKA PARK, N.Y.—In today’s tight job market, applicants need an edge.
Thanks to a required internship program, Keuka College graduates bring a definitive edge to the application process: experience.
Most colleges offer internships but there is a big difference at Keuka College, a small private college in Upstate New York. They are mandatory. At Keuka, students conduct 140-hour internships—called Field Periods—each year they are enrolled.
And that hands-on, real-world experience pays offs. According to data gleaned from an annual survey of Keuka College alumni over the past five years:
‧ 97 percent started their careers or went on to graduate school within 6 to 9 months of graduation;‧ 40 percent received job offers from sites where they conducted Field Periods; and‧ 20 percent were actually employed at one of their Field Period sites.
Mike Eckert, a 2006 Keuka graduate went one better: he was hired by Watkins Glen International (WGI) before graduation day. After his Field Period at WGI, he joined the speedway as marketing coordinator, was promoted to corporate sales executive a year later and to senior account executive earlier this year.
Field Period has been part and parcel of the Keuka College fabric since it was created by Edith Estey, a 1933 graduate and administrator, in 1942. And Field Period has drawn the attention of the national press. For example:
‧ In 2008, The New York Times capsuled five schools from around the country “where work counts” and “integrated work is a selling point.” Keuka is a member of that select group.‧ In the 2010 edition of “America’s Best Colleges,” U.S. News & World Report’s annual college guide, Keuka is one of just 18 colleges and universities nationwide listed in the “Internships” category of the “Programs to Look For” section.
Lee Planck, a 2011 Keuka graduate, conducted a Field Period under the direction of the San Francisco ’49ers equipment manager in the summer of 2010. He landed a job with the Jacksonville Jaguars after graduation.
“Experience,” said Planck, “is more important than anything.”
The folks who hire people for a living would certainly agree.
Keuka students have conducted Field Periods in more than 2,500 locations around the world. In January 2011, students put what they learned in the classroom to work in 23 states and eight foreign countries, including Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, China, Israel, Morocco, Sweden, and Tanzania.
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