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TCU 360

TCU 360

All TCU. All the time.

TCU 360

Students discuss religious topics in a small group. (Photo courtesy of tcuwesley.org)
Wednesday nights at TCU’s Methodist campus ministry provide religious exploration and fellowship
By Boots Giblin, Staff Writer
Published Mar 27, 2024
Students at the Wesley said they found community on Wednesday nights.

Graduating seniors find jobs through internships

Graduating+seniors+find+jobs+through+internships

Graduating seniors have gained professional experience and secured jobs after graduation through various internships. 

Josh Borders, a senior supply chain management and finance double major, turned his summer internship into a full-time job after graduation.

Borders interned with Bell Helicopter, a helicopter manufacturing company in Hurst, Texas, this past summer from July to the end of August. He worked full-time and was paid for the internship.

At the end of his internship, Borders was offered a full-time position at Bell Helicopter to begin as soon as he graduates from TCU.

Stephen Thomas, a senior mechanical engineering major from Fort Worth, said he interned this ast summer with EOG Resources, Inc., an independent oil and gas company in Fort Worth. He worked more than 50 hours a week as a paid intern.

“Internships are invaluable,” Thomas said.

Thomas said the internship was an “audition of sorts” that led to EOG offering him a full-time job after graduation in May.

“Most students that have had internships are employed faster because they have more relevant experience on their resume, and that is what employers are looking for,” Mary Beth Grayson, a TCU career adviser, said.

In a recent article by the Associated Press, an analysis released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that 53.6 percent of bachelor’s degree holders under the age of 25 last year were jobless or underemployed, which is the highest share in at least 11 years.

Grayson said internships not only make students more appealing for job opportunities in this tough job market, but they also prepare them to take advantage of those opportunities.

“The opportunity to get hands-on experience and apply what you’re learning in the classroom to a real world setting while getting the benefits of networking with professionals is why internships are so beneficial,” Grayson said.

Thomas said he recommends students, especially engineering majors, get an internship as early as possible.

“People want to see that you’ve been in that environment, and you understand how it works and how companies function,” Thomas said. “It’s a priceless opportunity.”

Thomas said he became aware of EOG when they began recruiting TCU students last year, organizing informational sessions and interviews on campus. They were heavily advertised through the engineering department and especially Career Services, Thomas said.

Thomas said he went to an informational session, interviewed the next day and was quickly offered a position for the summer at EOG as a facilities engineer intern.

He said he specialized with the design and system operations of the company, including pipelines and compressor stations.

Borders said he spent most of the time during his internship at Bell Helicopter as a commodity analyst focusing on forecasting. He said his internship prepared him in adjusting to a work schedule and lifestyle.

“During the summer, the work I was doing was real work,” Borders said.

In addition to offering Borders a job after college, Bell Helicopter also stipulated that he work part time during the school year. Borders said he has been working two days a week, mostly Thursday and Friday afternoons, throughout the school year.

Borders said he found working full-time in the summer much easier than working part time during the school year in addition to his course load. Borders is taking 18 hours this semester in order to graduate in May.

“During the school year it’s difficult because you’re only there working a certain amount of hours a week, so you can only do so much,” Borders said.

Borders said he is excited to graduate and return to the full-time work schedule and routine that he got used to in the summer.

“I feel like I already know what to expect going into the job, which should make it a pretty smooth transition,” Borders said.

Borders said his internship allowed him to see what employers expect of students in terms of work ethic, punctuality and focus on the job.

“I was able to get a closer look into what was expected professionally from you in a job after you graduate,” Borders said.

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