With Internship Week and other Career Center events right around the corner, we chatted with Claire Tierney, who secured an internship this past year with the help of Career Consultants at Pitt! Claire is a double major in Economics and Political Science minoring in Spanish, and like many Pitt students, she looked for guidance from the Career Center to help secure an internship. They assisted in developing her resume, cover letter, LinkedIn, and helped discover what she wanted to get out of a potential internship.
“Coming into college last year, I knew I loved Economics as a subject, but I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to achieve with this degree. I set up meetings with the Career Consultants, described what I liked doing in class and previous jobs as well as goals I had for my career. They guided me to specific companies at the career fair that might align with my interests. Thanks to the Career Center, over the course of 3 semesters, I have spoken with 30+ companies and narrowed my focus on economic policy and research.”
Currently, Claire is interning with WPI Economics while studying abroad in London, working on economic policy research and consultancy to create social and policy change. While she always knew she wanted to study abroad, the Career Center helped open doors to experiential learning opportunities like interning abroad to apply what she’s learned in her courses to real-world problems and creating potential solutions. When asking her about what her experience was like working with the Career Center, she said:
“The Career Center has offered resources, guidance, and support whenever I have needed it so far. They listen to your goals and meet you where you are at to make you aware of and help you attain exciting opportunities. It’s important to Pitt because it gives all students a place to start discovering and working toward future goals. Whether you have a perfect idea of what you want to do or are just starting to figure out what you want to study in college, they can connect you with the right people, provide advice so you can seize opportunities, and point you in the right direction to take advantage of all the resources available. Finding an internship or job can be a stressful process. It is important to know that the Pitt community is a great support system, so connecting with many people and asking questions definitely helps along the way.”
Outside of her internship, Claire is enjoying traveling and exploring concerts, restaurants, and markets in London. If you’re looking to kickstart or grow your career journey like Claire did, you can access the Career Center in person on the second floor of the William Pitt Union, or set up an appointment beforehand through Handshake or attend drop-in hours. Internship Week, January 29 – February 2, is the perfect way to start your career journey, so visit this link for a full schedule of events and access more Career Center resources at https://careercentral.pitt.edu/
