Fordham University recently unveiled its new Internship Promise for all undergraduate students in the Class of 2029 and beyond. The university website explains that under the policy, “every undergraduate student will have the opportunity to land at least one internship, including research and other experiential learning.” Annette McLaughlin, director of the Career Center, explained that experiential learning is a broad term. “We typically include internships, research, volunteering, study abroad, ROTC and performance or exhibition experience under this umbrella,” she explained.
Currently, 90% of Fordham students participate in at least one internship before graduating, with many completing multiple. Fordham’s Career Center provides students with services to help them obtain internships, such as networking events and various workshops.
“We provide support and resources from as early as a student’s first day at Fordham, including workshops, career counseling, employer connections and an online library of tools and platforms,” McLaughlin said. “When it comes to internships specifically, students are able to book appointments with us to prepare all of their application materials and interviewing skills. We also have workshops that cover these topics.” One of the main resources students use to find and apply for internships is Handshake, which the university website states posted over 27,000 internships in 2022-23.
Bob Howe, associate vice president for Media and Public Relations, explained that of the undergraduate students completing internships currently, 92% have a job or other substantive post-baccalaureate opportunity within six months of graduation. “Fordham helps its students get experience with companies like Disney, Amazon and Goldman Sachs, and organizations like PEN America, the New Settlement Community Center and the Brooklyn Museum,” stated Howe.
Howe commented that the Internship Promise was built off the success of Fordham’s Serving the City Internship Program. “Thanks to generous donor support, [the Serving the City Internship Program] places undergraduate students in paid internships with nonprofits that align with our Jesuit mission,” said Howe. “The program has grown quickly in just four years, providing internships for about 150 students.”
Fordham President Tania Tetlow expressed that she views providing students with internships as very important for preparing students for post-graduate success. “Employers increasingly look to us for graduates who are academically accomplished, adaptable, can think critically and work collaboratively,” Tetlow said. “In the last decade, the workplace has become more diverse, and jobs (and the skills required to perform them) are evolving rapidly. We know how critically important it is for students to have an opportunity to put their many new skills into practice and get some real work experience before leaving the classroom. Students need internships.”
McLaughlin explained that she believes the Internship Promise will also have positive impacts on Fordham as an institution. “On an institutional level, the enhanced internship reporting will give us better insights as to what students are interested in, what they need and how we can allocate our resources to better serve them,” McLaughlin explained. “This benefits all students, not just the Class of 2029 and later.”
Enhancing internship reporting is just one part of the plan that the Career Center has to help ensure the promise. “We are currently evaluating all of our resources and identifying additional platforms to increase our reach and accessibility,” McLaughlin said. “We are working with multiple departments across the university to partner on implementing more Career Readiness Programs, expanding our Career Exploration Courses and improving student’s reporting of experiences.”
She explained that the Career Center wants to expand its employer relations and industry-specific resources in order to be able to connect students with opportunities that are well suited to their interests. McLaughlin added that many other departments support the work of the promise and will participate in its planning and implementation.
Current students have mixed feelings about the Internship Promise. Though they think it is a good idea, students feel as though they missed out by attending before the promise was initiated. “I think it sucks that it wasn’t promised to former students. However, I think it’s amazing that they are trying something new like this. It will definitely take away some stress from those students. It’s getting harder and harder to get internships so it’s a very cool promise,” commented Touheed Kamran, FCRH ’24.
“The Career Center is excited to be able to implement initiatives that we have researched and considered in order to highlight the Fordham students and their experiences which will benefit the world of work,” said McLaughlin. “The world needs employees with Jesuit values who have fire, faith and focus for the future of work.”
