Student Success Story: Michael Cramer

Michael Cramer
Major: Managerial Marketing
Minor: Management

My name is Michael Cramer and I am a senior at Kent State.  I am majoring in Managerial Marketing with a minor in Management.  I recently had the opportunity to intern for Garick, a company located in Garfield Heights, Ohio, from January 2016-August 2016.  My job title for this internship was “Customer Relations Specialist,” but I was open to learning many aspects of the business during my time with the company. 

I found Garick and this internship during the Fall 2015 Job & Internship Fair.  These job fairs are flooded with several companies who are looking to hire students for jobs and internships.  During this career fair, I had the opportunity to talk to a variety of employers about internships that they were offering.  Within days of the career fair, Garick contacted me asking to set up an interview.  A week after the interview concluded, I was offered the internship. 

The best thing about the Fall Job & Internship Fair is that it gets students looking for work opportunities very early rather than wait until right before summer.  This led my internship search to go very smoothly and a lot easier than what I had anticipated.  It also allows the students to talk directly to the company’s representatives and then lets the student decide if the job is the right fit for them, based upon the conversation.

Before any job fair however, everyone needs to perfect his or her resume.  This is where the Career Services Office helped me stand out from my peers.  I was able to sit down with an advisor and they were able to help me highlight all the main aspects I needed to in my resume.  The Career Services Office provides mock interviews which assist in preparation of the interview process and help answer the general interview questions that many interviewee’s will be asked.  By utilizing the Career Service Office for these aspects, each student has the ability to stand out in their own unique way. 

After the job fair and interview stage, the only thing left was to go out and perform to the best of my ability during my internship.  Going into the first internship was nerve-racking because I had no idea what to expect from it.  I read the job title and had the chance to talk to the company representatives, but I was still unsure of what would be expected of me.  However, the best advice I can give someone going into his or her first internship would be to just relax, and take advantage of the opportunity to professionally grow and learn.  New interns need to understand that they are there for a reason, and that reason is because the management believes that you are the best candidate for the position.  This should lead new interns to be confident in their abilities.  Once the confidence is built, just do everything to the best of your ability, and once you do that, the internship can become a lot more relaxed as well as a great learning experience.