Below is advice that Smeal senior Matthew McClurken gives to new students. The image above is Matthew at a paint ball event (Matthew is past president and active participant in Penn State's Paint Ball Club).
- Get involved. Join clubs, and get to know your professors. They are the best people able to help you in your education.
- Take advantage of two-semester co-ops. These offer a much better experience then just a summer internship. On a co-op, you become more a part of the company, and have greater responsibility.
- Practice when going for interviews. Have answers that you can relate to any topic. Go in with stories on leadership, and know the STAR model (below) for interviewing.
The STAR model
S - Situation: Background, set the scene
T - Task (or Target): Specifics of what was required (when, where, who)
A - Action: What you did, skills used, behaviors, characteristics?
R - Result (or Outcome): What happened?
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