The Career Center at UNT empowers students and alumni to identify and achieve individual goals for career success, and our staff are always working to help our students connect to the best opportunities that will help them thrive academically and beyond. Last year, UNT biochemistry major Jenna Douthit was hired for a ten week long summer internship with Unilever, which took her outside of Texas to work in Connecticut.

"I never lived outside of Texas before this, and being so far from home allowed me to grow personally as well as professionally through the internship experience," said Jenna. "I also got to make a ton of new friends and enjoy so many experiences that I wouldn't have had otherwise."

The goal of internships like Jenna's are to equip our students to successfully execute the transition from student to professional. "What I liked most about the internship was being able to get my hands dirty and really work on real-world problems," she said. "I wasn't just an intern running around getting coffee; I was actually a member of the team with important responsibilities."

Jenna, who normally picked up summer jobs lifeguarding to save up money when not taking classes, said that finding the right internship allowed her more financial security and the company also paid for her relocation expenses to work out of state.

For her internship, Jenna worked in a laboratory environment in the private sector, which opened her eyes to new considerations for her potential career path. In the lab, she received hands-on training in skincare research and development. Like many students who take advantage of the internship programs they find with the help of the Career Center, she realized how many opportunities were available to her with a biochemistry degree outside of academia and health professions.

Our students' success both academically and professionally is our top priority. For more information on how to begin finding the right internship for your major, contact Internship Coordinator Aaron Anderson at aaron.anderson@UNT.edu. To connect with Susan Bradley, our College of Science Career Coach, email susan.bradley@unt.edu.