Tips for Your Summer Internships (and how to get the next one!)

Career Services/Internships

It’s internship season. Check out these Career Services tips for finding opportunities, making the most of them, and setting yourself up for next year. And if you’re a recent grad, we’ve got some helpful hints for you, too!

Pace students at a Career Services workshop
Pace students at a Career Services workshop
Johnni Medina

It’s internship season. Check out these Career Services tips for finding opportunities, making the most of them, and setting yourself up for next year. And if you’re a recent grad, we’ve got some helpful hints for you, too!

1. Set clear goals and get feedback

Internships and work opportunities are more than talking points at your next interview. They are opportunities to learn on-the-job skills, gain professional development, and actively improve. Before you begin, consider exactly what skills—professional, social, and interpersonal—that you’d like to develop.

Once you’ve pinpointed what you’d like to learn, don’t be shy. Be candid with your supervisors and colleagues what you hope to learn from them and ask for feedback. Not only will you get more from your time and open up learning pathways that might not have been available before, but you’ll also develop stronger working relationships.

2. Network, Network, Network

Who you know is always an important aspect of the professional world. Keeping your LinkedIn up-to-date helps potential employers get to know you and can potentially serve as a point of contact for those in your industry you have not met in person. Though online connections are important, the longer lasting ones will be the connections you make in the field, with colleagues and fellow interns. And finally, lean on your Pace Community. Pace faculty and alumni mentors are connected to experts worldwide and maintaining those ties may lead to new ones. If you’re a recent alumnus, dive into the Pace Alumni Association, where fellow alumni can lift you up and get you connected.

3. Invest in Yourself

In a world where much of the workspace is engaging virtually, the usual concept of ‘office space’ has radically changed. With our work now taking up time and space in our homes, it’s more important than ever to cultivate spaces that work for us. Take the time to assess your working needs and find a way to carve out space so that you can not only focus while working from home but can also unplug once the day is done.

And for those working in-person, the age-old adage ‘dress for the job you want’ continues to ring true. Stock your closet with clothes that will help you make the best impression.

And if you’re spending money, save those receipts—when tax season returns, every write-off counts.

4. Join Handshake and Utilize Career Services Resources

Career Services is dedicated to offering career prep workshops, career fairs, employer spotlights, and other services to empower you to jump into the working world. Attend the Virtual Career Fair for Recent Graduates, attend a Career Counselor Q&A, or practice your interview skills and fine tune your cover letter. These events are designed to help you plan your next step, hone your skills, and stand out from the crowd. Check out all of the upcoming events on Handshake and the career services event calendar. And don’t forget, recent grads, Career Services is here to help you, too!

5. Volunteer

If you’re still making summer plans, or hoping to fill up your free time, there are always opportunities to volunteer. The Center for Community Action and Research lists several options for community engagement, political participation, and other employment and leadership opportunities. Not only is serving your community important, but volunteering offers you the chance to pick up new skills, network, and discover new passions.

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From Viewer to Creator: Shaping the User Experience with a Filmmaker’s Eye

Seidenberg School of CSIS

Meet Daniel Ramos, a second-year student studying Computer Science in the Seidenberg school.

Pace student Daniel Ramos standing at a Comic Con convention in NYC, and pointing at a large anime character.
Pace student Daniel Ramos standing at a Comic Con convention in NYC, and pointing at a large anime character.
Carrie Sena

Meet Daniel Ramos (BS in Computer Science ’26), a second-year student studying Computer Science in the Seidenberg school. Daniel is busy! When he is not in class or hanging out with friends in the Goldstein Academic Center, you can find him walking around the Pleasantville campus (both for enjoyment and as part of his on-campus job), on the shuttle to/from the New York City campus or at the Jacob Burns Film Center, a cultural center in the heart of Pleasantville.

Daniel developed a love for computers at an early age. Influenced by his older brother who, too, had an appreciation for technology, Daniel evolved his engagement from tinkering with computers in middle school to following the activities of tech giants like Apple and Samsung, to taking advanced high school computing courses. “By the time I was in high school, I had accumulated a lot of coding and design skills,” notes Daniel. “I knew I wanted to further my knowledge in these areas.”

When it came time to apply to college, Pace’s Seidenberg School was top-of-mind for Daniel. He’d connected with an alum who shared positive feedback about the school, and he observed during visits some of the characteristics of Seidenberg that made it a fit for him. “I immediately noticed the connectedness between students and professors,” shares Daniel.

The open and friendly atmosphere and small class sizes make it easy to collaborate, ask questions and develop the skills I need for the future.

One career path Daniel is considering pertains to User Interface (UI), which refers to the look, feel and interactivity of a web page.

That Daniel is considering UI as a possible professional direction makes a lot of sense, given his interests outside of Pace. One major hobby of Daniel’s is film. “I followed indie movies for a while,” notes Daniel, “and during the pandemic, I expanded my viewing library immensely.” Beyond taking in the plot and characters, Daniel has a keen eye for the artistic aspects of a film that make it unique. “I notice elements that make the film more of an immersive experience,” he shares. “I also find myself observing and considering the ways in which the smallest details can make a huge difference in my movie-watching experience.” Daniel hopes to forge a career path that will merge his focus on the finer points of design with his enthusiasm for coding and technology.

Daniel’s current job is as a Tour Guide for the Pace Welcome Center and as a Student Assistant. In these roles, he gets to interact with prospective students and families, answer their questions and share his Pace experience. “It’s gratifying to be able to share Pace and Seidenberg’s high points with those who are considering enrolling,” notes Daniel. “Much like the Pace alum who spoke with me when I was a senior in high school, I am now the one to share feedback and perspective with students deciding on their undergraduate path.” Daniel often describes Pace as a ‘Goldilocks’ school. Not too big, not too small, just right.

I love that I can encounter familiar faces each day, and also meet new people.

One venue for meeting new people is Pace’s New York City campus where Daniel travels regularly. He is hoping to explore taking a course on the NYC campus at some point in the future. “It would be great to study at the NYC campus, even for just a class,” notes Daniel. “In the meantime, I like to visit NYC as I am inspired by the surroundings and I have easy access to one of my favorite movie theaters.”

We’re looking forward to seeing what the future holds for Daniel.

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