Dozens of Iowa State students took part in the inaugural university-wide CYning Day on Wednesday.
Iowa State’s CYning Day gave students the opportunity to take a photo in front of a backdrop, enjoy snacks and commemorate the acceptance of their summer job offers Wednesday.
“CYning Day is something that we’re doing campus-wide this spring for any student that has signed for an internship or full-time offer,” Tabatha Carney, the Ivy College of Business’s director for career services, said.
Carney compared the university-wide CYning Day to the signing days hosted by Iowa State Athletics.
“It emulates what the athletes do when they go and sign for their athletic program,” Carney said. “We want to also celebrate when people get great jobs and great internships.”
Jack Campbell, a senior in agriculture business, found a full-time job as an associate territory manager at Corteva Agriscience.
“I obtained the job through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and interned with Corteva last summer and signed full-time with them soon after,” Campbell said.
Campbell said the best advice he would give to undergraduate students is to use all of the resources provided by Iowa State.
“Iowa State does a great job of setting you up for graduation and to prepare you for this step,” Campbell said. “Utilize your learning and utilize your mentors because this is what they do for work, and their job is to help you find success after graduation.”
Alexandra Hoffman, a senior in animal science, used Iowa State’s resources to land a job at Pipestone Systems as an account specialist on the farm team.
“I acquired the position by interning with them and finding them through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Career Day,” Alexandra Hoffman said. “The College of Ag has definitely made it less scary. They’ve given us the right steps to not be scared of the real world and to be ready and take full charge.”
Alexandra Hoffman believes the hard work she put in at her internship helped her find a job after college.
“Students need to take advantage of internships, like really take advantage of them and work hard during them, so it is not as hard to find a full-time position,” Alexandra Hoffman said. “If you intern with a successful company that wants to hire you back, it makes the process a lot easier and a lot less stressful.”
Raequan Victorine, a senior in culinary food science, said he found his summer internship in the Tea Room at MacKay Hall by speaking with his professor in the hospitality management program.
“We ended up evolving from basic recipes into implementing different recipes into the Tea Room,” Victorine said. “She mentioned an internship in class, and since I am really passionate about class and cooking in general, it worked out really good.”
Victorine said having the opportunity to stay in Ames and giving back to the university was his main motivation in taking the Tea Room internship.
“I think a lot with internships is that you think you have to move from state to state, but being able to stay in Ames and helping out and changing the culture a little bit feels pretty good,” Victorine said.
Hannah Hoffman (unrelated to Alexandra), a career service specialist for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said CYning Day was a great experience for everyone involved.
“I actually started last fall, so I don’t see a lot of repeat faces, but seeing people come in and having the chance to celebrate and have a little fun has been great,” Hannah Hoffman said.
Hannah Hoffman said it is never too early for students to start looking for jobs, no matter the year.
“Whether you are a freshman or sophomore, it is never too early to start, so let’s start exploring some pathways and options,” Hannah Hoffman said. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint, so as long as you are constantly moving towards your goal, you’re going to be alright.”
