The University of Hartford emphasizes career readiness for all students. Whether through helping them perfect their craft in their chosen degree program to helping them identify and obtain internships, UHart provides students with what is needed to be successful in the 21st century job market.
Internships and Hands-On Learning
Internships are a significant opportunity for students to gain hands-on, professional experience in their fields. The university recognizes the value of this work, so 100% of undergraduate students at the Barney School of Business complete at least one internship before graduation. For example, Zewen Xu is a senior management major at the Barney School. When he traveled back to China during the summer of 2020, he participated in an internship with Shaanxi Changyin Consumer Finance Co. There, he worked in human resources and business development and gained experience in product analysis and market research.
Many students, including Zewen, find opportunities to work with the companies where they intern after they graduate. Because of Zewen’s performance during his internship, the company offered him a job, which Zewen has accepted and will begin after graduation from UHart. Zewen said, “In every little thing during the internship, we can experience various events that we will often encounter in the future, such as interpersonal relationships, opportunities, evaluation, competition, success, and failure.”
More than 70% of students in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA) complete internships. Research projects and work with professors are also valuable opportunities for students to build their resumes. Shatha Barq, from Jordan, completed her bachelor’s degree at UHart and is now pursuing her Master of Engineering in electrical and computer engineering at CETA. She credits her professors for their support in helping her conduct research and obtain multiple internships — three in Jordan during her undergraduate years during which time she learned from employees of well-known engineering and technology companies including Trained by Bosch, Honeywell, Cisco, and Microsoft.
Career Ready Support
With an emphasis on being career ready, the University includes career-focused courses in all majors. For example, music performance majors take classes in Building a Music Career and Communicating with an Audience. With courses that emphasize career development, students have the opportunity to learn from experts in their chosen fields.
In addition to those classes, the university provides dedicated resources for students, online and in-person. From group work on resumes and cover letters to peer ambassadors, the Office of Career and Professional Development offers exceptional support for students who want to become career ready. Watch this video to learn from Brooke Penders, Executive Director of the Office of Career and Professional Development at the University of Hartford. The Career Studio provides students with the tools to achieve their career goals, as they can find out explore their interests and careers in their majors through:
- Personality and career assessments
- An online resume builder
- Opportunities for professional headshots
- Lessons in how to build a personal brand
