Spring means mild temperatures, Veishea festivities, studying for finals and, if you are a procrastinator, looking for that last-minute job or internship for the summer.

Many students don’t even know where to start looking for summer positions and may not be taking advantage of valuable resources on campus. Every college at Iowa State has its own career services office that provides assistance in a variety of ways.

Upon enrolling at Iowa State, each student receives a profile with the university’s Career Management Service. This online database catalogs 10,800 employers from around the world. Full-time job and internship opportunities are posted on its Web site for students to view.

Some of Iowa State’s colleges also offer mock interviews. Steven Kravinsky director of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ career services, said the mock interview program provides students with an interview customized to the career they’re pursuing and is intended to be as real as possible. The interviews are videotaped so students can see themselves as prospective employers will.

“We will critique everything from the part in your hair to your mannerisms and overall performance,” Kravinsky said.

About 75 students take advantage of this service each year. Kravinsky wonders why more students aren’t coming in for mock interviews, since the cost is covered by tuition.

“Do you take an exam without studying? Of course not,” Kravinsky said. “Yet many people go into interviews without practicing.”

Students can also receive help putting together resumes and cover letters, job-searching tips and more at their college’s career services office.

Kravinsky suggests students start looking for jobs and internships a semester before they would like to start. However, not all hope is lost for procrastinators.

“Some of the best internships come at the last minute,” Kravinsky said.

Maddie Moffitt, junior in finance, had trouble when the internship she had lined up for the summer fell through and left her finding an alternative position for the summer. Moffitt eventually found another internship, to which she partially credits her interviewing skills.

“Before interviewing with companies, I always pick through their Web sites and see where their main focus is, what they have accomplished and other facts that I find interesting about them,” Moffitt said. “If I bring it up during an interview, I think that it shows that I have a genuine interest in working for them and would be excited to be there.”

Moff advised students who have already found internships to visit career services so they will receive credit for their work experience.

“I’ve used career services so that I can receive some credit for my internship and retain my status as a student at Iowa State,” Moffitt said. “If I didn’t retain my student status, I’d have to start paying off my loans, which I don’t want to do just yet.”

Although Iowa State has students with internships all around the world, some decide to stay in Ames to get a real-world experience.

Amanda Crawford, senior in journalism and mass communication, didn’t want a local internship at first.

“I thought that the further away I got from Ames, the better off I was,” Crawford said.

Once she realized that she couldn’t afford to take an unpaid internship on the West Coast as she had intended, she reluctantly accepted an intern position at KCCI Channel 8 News in Des Moines.

“That internship ended up landing me a part-time job and more experience than I could have ever imagined,” Crawford said.

She encourages students not to underestimate local or unpaid internships since hers was such a great experience.

Students who are interested in polishing their interviewing skills or learning more about internship opportunities should check out their respective college’s career services Web site or stop by their office for more information.

Career Management Service

https://ecms.eng.iastate.edu/students/

The first time you use the Web site, click on Forgot My Password to receive a password via e-mail.

LAS Spring Workshop Series Monday

12:10-1 p.m. “How to Write a Winning Resume” – 353 Catt Hall

1:10-2 p.m. “CMS Tutorial” – 353 Catt Hall

2:10-3 p.m. “How to Select Your First Career Benefits Package” – 353 Catt Hall

Free ice cream will be provided at each event.

For information and times for other upcoming workshops, visit www.las.iastate.edu/careerservices/