Career Paths

How DCCC connects students with internship opportunities

ADAM REGER

Ella Ferris was walking through Valley Forge Park when her phone rang. It was Nicole Azar, assistant director of Student Employment in Delaware County Community College’s Student Employment Services, calling with an exciting opportunity: an internship in the marketing department of The Vanguard Group in Malvern.

Ferris, of Devon, cut her walk short and met with Azar to go over her resume and craft a cover letter that told a compelling story about the Business Administration major’s experiences and future goals. Their hard work paid off, and Ferris spent the summer as an editorial and writing intern at the investment firm. Along with crafting headlines for email appeals that went out to investors, Ferris developed a niche as an in-house expert on Vanguard’s artificial intelligence program, briefing leaders and other stakeholders.

“I had the privilege of collaborating with incredibly talented individuals, all united by a shared passion for creativity and innovation,” Ferris says of her time at Vanguard.

That experience helped Ferris land another gig as a lead generation intern for Wayne-based insurance company USLI, where she has worked on supporting the firm’s sales force and creating internal communications.

Ferris is a noteworthy example of the kinds of support that DCCC’s Student Employment Services & Co-Op Center can offer.

Led by its director, Erin Gabriele, the office matches well-trained, highly motivated student employees with appropriate area employers, providing students with valuable hands-on work experience. Students can gain professional experience and decide if a certain career field is the right fit. And they can earn money while they do it.

The mission of the Student Employment Services office, says Gabriele, is to teach students the job skills that will best prepare them for the workforce. That may look different for different students.

Confidence in your abilities

Joey Darmiento of Coatesville is completing an internship with DCCC’s Information Technology department. Working closely with IT staff, Darmiento does everything from taking apart old laptops to setting up networks and helping faculty and staff implement software updates.

Although Darmiento came to the internship with substantial knowledge of computers and technology, his internship experience has been invaluable. He feels he’s gained a new level of comfort and confidence from being able to say to one of his mentors, “I don’t know how to do that yet. Can you show me?”

“Being confident in your abilities and knowing that you’ve done something are two very different things,” he says. That’s especially true as he looks ahead to entering the job market.

Darmiento’s internship is a paid opportunity. That kept the computer programming major from having to decide between a career-advancing opportunity like this one and a part-time job.

While Darmiento’s internship is right on campus, Azar casts a wide net in seeking out opportunities for students. She conducts site visits and follows up with students to ensure their experiences are valuable.

She and Gabriele also work closely with students to identify their career goals and prepare their application materials, giving them the best chance at finding and attaining the kinds of experiences that will start them on the road to career success.

“They may not have the specific experience, but we can pull out concepts to highlight,” Azar says. Many students have more experience than they may think.

A misconception many students have, says Gabriele, is that the first or second year of college is too soon to start thinking about their careers, and that internships are for juniors and seniors. Many of the employers that the DCCC office works with, many of whom attend the College’s regular career fairs, are interested in developing relationships with students earlier in their educational journeys.

“To first-year students, I would urge them to get ahead of things by getting involved in the work-study program or getting a part-time job,” Gabriele says. She and Azar also encourage students to get involved in campus groups, demonstrating leadership and initiative to potential employers.

The program is also yielding benefits to the employers who reach out to Gabriele and Azar.

Sarah Hazel, billing and administrative director at Discover Optimal Healthcare in Brookhaven, has worked with two interns from DCCC so far and calls their performance “absolutely awesome.”

Herself a graduate of DCCC’s medical billing program, Hazel had reached out to the College looking for part-time employees in the past, so when Azar inquired about Discover Optimal welcoming interns, she leapt at the opportunity. She gives interns tasks that prepare them for when they join the workforce. If an insurance claim is denied, she helps them think through possible reasons why, and how best to appeal to the insurance companies.

“I like that when they come to me, they have a really good work ethic, they understand what I’m telling them, they’re willing to learn, and they ask good questions,” Hazel says. “I’m really happy with how prepared they are and how well they do.”