Exploring Career Opportunities at Hood College

Hood College, recognized as an award-winning workplace, offers a supportive environment for students to explore career paths and achieve professional success. Located in Frederick, Maryland, Hood College provides various resources and programs to help students and alumni with career exploration, internship opportunities, and job placement. This article delves into the career opportunities available at Hood College, emphasizing the resources, services, and programs designed to support students in their career development journey.

Career Exploration Resources

Hood College's Career Center provides various resources to help students explore potential career paths and make informed decisions about their future. These resources include:

Major Maps: Developed by the college, these maps show the recommended course sequence for all Hood majors and provide career exploration resources.
ONET Career Profiler: A self-paced, online career and education planning tool for college students.
My Plan Values Assessment: A free online assessment that matches industries and jobs to your personal and work values.
What Can I Do With This Major?: An exploration tool providing information on what careers naturally flow from more than 70 different majors.
My Next Move: A web-based interactive tool for new job seekers, students, and other career explorers to learn more about their career options.
O*NET OnLine: A web-based application that provides user-friendly access to occupational information.
Occupational Outlook Handbook: The government's premier source of career guidance featuring hundreds of occupations.
Agile Work Profiler: This free assessment helps students explore strengths, interests, and skills valued in the workforce, assisting in career exploration.

Job Search Resources

The Career Center offers several resources to assist students in their job search:

Handshake: An online job board where students can search for internships and employment. It also allows students to make appointments with a career counselor and register for upcoming career fairs and employer-related events.
Alumnifire: An online networking platform that allows students to connect with Hood graduates to learn about career fields, occupations, and career pathways, and practice interviews with experienced professionals. It's free for all students and alumni.
Resume Tutorial: Covers the basics of putting together a college-level resume with examples.
Parker Dewey Micro Internships: A site for short-term paid internship opportunities to build your resume.
CareerShift: A resource that searches for jobs by area, industry, and career level, redirecting to large job posting boards. Its company search function helps expand potential employers.
Diversity-Focused Employers and Programs: A database of companies and program opportunities, internships, fellowships, and employment-related resources.
Dedicated Early Career Programs for Young Graduates: A database of companies often seeking entry-level graduates for developing programs and opportunities.
Idealist.org: An international database of nonprofit companies.

Internship Program at Hood College

Hood College's internship program provides students with practical, real-world experience in their chosen field. Internships are available in various disciplines, allowing students to apply classroom knowledge in a professional setting.

Internship Requirements and Guidelines

To participate in an internship for academic credit, students must meet specific criteria and follow a structured process:

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Eligibility: Students must be degree candidates at Hood College with a minimum GPA of 2.0 overall and 2.5 in the internship discipline. They must also have completed at least nine credits or three courses at the 200-level or above at Hood in the field in which they wish to intern.
Credit Requirements: Students applying for a 3- to 9-credit internship must have completed 45 college-level credits before starting the internship. Those applying for a 12- or 15-credit internship must have earned 75 college-level credits.
Application Process: The internship process involves several steps, beginning with picking up an internship packet from the Career Center. It includes the Application for Internship, the Student Learning Agreement, and the Student Indemnity Waiver.
Learning Agreement: The Learning Agreement details the responsibilities of the student, the faculty internship advisor, and the on-site supervisor. It outlines the student's goals, expected outcomes, and requirements set by the faculty advisor. All parties must sign the completed agreement.
Time Commitment: A student must work 40 hours at the internship site for each credit earned. Travel time and work on papers or projects assigned by the faculty advisor are not included in the required hours.
Grading: Internships are graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis, determined by the faculty internship advisor based on the criteria defined in the learning agreement.
Multiple and Successive Internships: Students can undertake more than one internship in a semester or across successive semesters, provided they do not exceed the self-study credit limitation.

Finding an Internship

Hood College does not place students in internships; instead, students are responsible for researching and securing their own internship sites. The Career Center provides resources and support to assist students in their search:

Handshake and CareerShift: The Career Center maintains a database of internship sites and locations where students have interned in the past. Internships can also be found on Handshake and CareerShift.
Networking: Family, friends, and professors can be valuable resources for finding internship opportunities.
Internet Resources: Various online resources provide information about internships.

Important Considerations for Interns

Professional Behavior: Interns are expected to maintain professional behavior, including punctuality, appropriate attire, and respectful communication.
Initiative: Interns should show initiative by actively seeking assignments, asking questions, and demonstrating interest in the organization.
Communication: Regular communication with the internship supervisor and faculty advisor is essential for a successful internship experience.
Commitment: Students are expected to commit to the internship site for the duration specified in the learning agreement.

Award-Winning Workplace

Hood College has been recognized for its commitment to providing a supportive and wellness-oriented environment for its staff, faculty, and students:

Healthiest Maryland Businesses Award: In June 2019, Hood College was recognized as a Bronze Awardee by Healthiest Maryland Businesses for its commitment to providing a wellness-oriented environment.
Frederick County Human Relations Commission’s Human Relations Award: In March 2015, Hood College received this award for its yearlong commitment to honor the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Business Health Award: In 2011, Hood received a Business Health Award from the Frederick Regional Health System and the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce for developing a five-year Wellness Strategic Plan.
Best Places to Work: Also in 2011, Hood was ranked number one in the "Best Places to Work" in the large employer category by the Frederick County Office of Economic Development, Frederick County Workforce Services, and Frederick County Chamber of Commerce.
Above and Beyond Award: Hood College was recognized by the Department of Defense for providing outstanding service and support to the National Guard and Reserve forces.
Family Friendly Workplaces: In 2007, Hood was recognized as one of the top 10 "Family Friendly Workplaces" by the Frederick County Office of Economic Development, Frederick County Workforce Services, and Frederick County Chamber of Commerce.

Career Center Staff and Services

The Career Center staff is dedicated to assisting students with their career development needs. They offer a range of services, including:

Career Counseling: Students can make appointments with career counselors for help with career exploration, finding and applying for internships, resume and cover letter assistance, interview practice, or job search strategies.
Workshops and Events: The Career Center hosts various workshops and events, such as career and internship fairs, employer information sessions, and resume and interview workshops.
Online Resources: The Career Center provides access to online resources such as Handshake, Alumnifire, and other job search platforms.

Meet the Staff

The Career Center is staffed by experienced professionals dedicated to helping students achieve their career goals.

Page: She works to build new relationships and maintain existing connections within the Frederick community and beyond to increase career exploration and employment opportunities for Hood College students. Page earned her associates degree in General Studies from Montgomery College, Germantown and her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from University of Maryland, College Park. In May 2017, she earned her M.A. in Humanities, American Studies from Hood College.
Harwood: Harwood graduated in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in Communication Arts and in 2019 with a master's degree in Human Sciences & Thanatology. She earned a graduate certificate in organizational management in 2022. In her professional career she has helped students find their path to meaningful internship experiences. She has also helped students craft their resumes and cover letters, and prepare for interviews. Harwood offers presentations on a variety of career related topics to classes and clubs on campus.

Opportunities for Employers

Hood College invites employers and organizations seeking interns or new hires to connect with its talented students. Employers can participate in career fairs, networking nights, lunch-hour recruitments, and on-campus interview sessions.

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Handshake: Employers can create an account in Handshake to post internships and jobs and connect with Hood College students.
Career Fairs: Hood College hosts career fairs throughout the year, providing employers with the opportunity to meet students from various undergraduate and graduate majors.

Upcoming Events

Hood College hosts several events to connect students with employers and provide career development opportunities.

Community Volunteer and Internship Career Fair: An event open to all majors and free for employer participation.
Community Volunteer, Internship and Employment Fair: An event to recruit for internship and new hires, free for all employers.
Hood College Annual Etiquette Dinner with Mike True: An event where employers and alumni can serve as professional guides for students, teaching them about business etiquette and formal dinner navigation.
Hood College Annual Spring Career Fair: An event to meet students from more than 30 undergraduate and graduate majors.
Suit-Up with JCPenney: A national event offering discounts on apparel, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, and salon services to alumni, students, faculty, and staff of Hood College.

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