Abstract:

Current competitive job markets require from young college graduates a wide variety of interpersonal and personal skills that are often not a part of their professional or academic training (OECD, 2015; McKinsey, 2013). Internships during the third year of college, combined with on-site mentoring from professionals at the workplace provides a bridge from the academia to the workplace for many graduates. Internships provide them with an opportunity to explore positions related to their studies and occupational expectations, to gain hands-on experience and to gain a competitive advantage. It also provides them with opportunities to network and to strengthen skills necessary for finding and holding a job in their profession. The students selected for these workshops come from various ethnic, religious and national backgrounds, which expands the diversity in these workshops.

In this presentation, I will share some of the data and insights gained in recent years as a leader of numerous annual workshops that accompany interning students in campuses in the southern part of Israel. These workshops, entitled "The Next Thing" are part of an ongoing effort to enhance graduates' employability. Students are carefully selected for the program, and throughout the year learn and practice various 'soft job-skills'. The results indicate that a high percentage of the interns were offered jobs soon after the completion of their internship either at the workplace where they interned or at a similar placement. Networking with professionals in their field was a springboard for many of these interns.

Most of the students reported a high level of satisfaction from the applicable skills they have learned during the annual workshop and from the ongoing process that helped them develop professionally and personally. For some, this workshop was the most useful opportunity in their studies to understand what is required for making the transition from college to the workplace.

Keywords:

College-work transition, internship, mentoring.