Bridging the Gap from College to Career
July 29, 2020
Merchants Bonding Company’s five week summer internship program engages interns in a variety of opportunities within their field of study, but also seeks to provide valuable insights on the transition to life after college.
“Most colleges lack an effective college to career transitional program,” says Human Resource Associate Cole Horton. “Over the last year, Merchants has restructured its internship program to provide much needed education and training to help students navigate their transition into the ‘real world’.” Horton, also a recent college graduate, interned with Merchants last summer and believes the company is on the cutting edge when it comes to recruiting for today’s college students.
To kick off its “real world” series of events, Merchants’ interns attended a virtual panel discussion with recently-hired Merchants associates who offered advice on various topics from work life balance and salary negotiation tactics to how to get involved at work.
“It can be hard to start at a new company,” says newly hired Claims Attorney Will Beasley. “But one thing I’ve learned is to get to know people. Be sure to step outside of your comfort zone and learn how to develop yourself along with becoming a key part of your new team.”
Continuing our “real world” series, Merchants associates provided insights on the importance of time management. The panel featured interactive activities, videos from experts and input from Merchants associates focusing on the importance of how time management shifts when transitioning into the workforce from college.
“Time management is essential in any role. In college, your schedule is fairly regimented whereas at work, things pop up all the time that can throw off timelines. For those who like to stick to a strict schedule, it’s important to know that flexibility is key,” said Senior Marketing Production Associate Bridget Hunt.
Employers today have so much to offer beyond a job title and paycheck. Benefits packages, company culture, training and development, and retirement were just a few topics hiring managers discussed in Merchants’ Life After College panel.
“It depends on what is important to you,” says Human Resource Manager Kate Kreis-Claflin. “Don’t focus on just the salary, do your research on benefits, education opportunities, work life balance and anything else that is important to your life.”
To learn more about how Merchants Internship program and how we’re bridging the gap from college to career, click here.