Tag Archives: application

It’s Interview Season!

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Hi everyone!

I hope anyone who came to Preview Day had a great time! This time of year on campus is crazy! We all love seeing the new faces around but we also are working hard preparing for finals and finishing projects. And on top of all that, lots of students are preparing for interviews for internships or jobs! I was surprised by how many students asked about internship opportunities at Preview Day – that’s so great you guys are thinking ahead!

Some people get internships as a freshman but I waited until my sophomore year. This means these are my first real interviews. I have interviewed with United, SFO, DIA, and Allegiant. These have been phone, video-recording, Skype, and in-person interviews. I applied for about 10 internships and have gotten 8 interviews. So far I have received multiple offers and I am super excited! Now the stressful part is deciding which!

Skype and video-recording interviews are awkward and kind of frustrating with the lagging. Phone interviews are nice because you can have notes in front of you. In-person interviews are my favorite because you are able to show your personality better in my opinion!

Just yesterday I was flown to Chicago for an interview with United Airlines. This was an amazing experience. I felt very prepared because I have utilized Career Services and their help was extremely useful. I wasn’t even nervous! The interviewers were very nice and the experiences I’ve had at Embry-Riddle in classes and in organizations were very applicable to their questions. Many of my interviewers were even Riddle grads!

Taking the train in Chicago to my interview.

I left to Chicago very early then took the L Train into the city from the airport. I then went and did my interview, got coffee, and headed back to the airport. It was a wild day but I had a great time getting a little lost in the city!

I left Florida in 80 degree weather only to land in snowy Chicago!

Internships are great experience builders and can take place during the summer, spring, and fall semesters. I encourage you to talk to Career Services your first semester and begin planning for internships as soon as possible! Even just the interview process itself is great experience!

-Maddie

Minors are a Major Deal

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Minor courses of study don’t get enough praise. I’m currently minoring in business administration and space studies to complement my Communication degree. My initial intention was to take something I was interested in that was sensible for my field, and they certainly are, but I didn’t recognize the true value of them until working with Space Tango.

Space Tango works to scale down customers’ experiments to fit in what they call CubeLabs for microgravity research on the International Space Station. As a Communication major, it’s difficult to see how I piece into this puzzle of research and design. My minor, however, in space studies (SP) provides me with the background information to keep up with the engineers during our meetings. It’s a puzzle piece to the bigger picture.

CubeLabs waiting to be tested in a pressure chamber.

CubeLabs waiting to be tested in a pressure chamber.

SP courses that I have taken gave me an overview of mission history, rocket and propulsion systems, ISS configuration, and so much more. If it wasn’t for my SP minor, then I wouldn’t be as valuable as I am now in the aerospace industry and I wouldn’t be able to effectively market their brand to prospective customers.

My business minor ties it all together. I can keep up with our director of business operations and even devise my own marketing plans that reflect the industry and the company. It’s like being a triple threat in the job market. I have so much more to offer as an intern and, one day, as an employee.

My skills are flexible and it’s all thanks to my minors! I think finding such minors are especially beneficial for flexible degree programs such as Communication. We can fit anywhere, but if there’s an industry you want to work in then cater your education towards it. Especially during internship season and applications, it’s important to keep a few things in mind. What are your strengths? What sets you aside from others? Don’t overestimate the power of your minors. Take the time to find one or two that accommodates your interests or pieces you into your dream industry.

⋆ Dani