Meet Emmanuel’s New Director of Internships and Career Development
November 30, 2010
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Mark Kenyon began his new position as the director of the Office of Internships and Career Development (ICD) in September. The Rhode Island native joins Emmanuel College from the University of Maryland at College Park. Currently, he is a part-time student at Boston College where he is pursuing his Ph.D. in higher education. Mark recently sat down with Kathleen Kelly '10, the Office of Marketing Communications intern, to discuss his experiences and share some information about the ICD office and its services.
Q: What interested you in Emmanuel?
A: This position spoke to me on a number of levels. My professional career has been focused on working with students around internships and I was impressed with the College's commitment to providing such experiences to its students. I come from a liberal arts and sciences background, which also interested me in Emmanuel, as well as its great Boston location.
It was clear to me that at Emmanuel it is all about the experience. During the interview process, I was able to meet with a number of Emmanuel students and they sold it to me. From their experiences, the commitment they had to the campus and the College, and the wonderful stories they told me about their internships, I realized that this was a group of students that I would love to work with.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working in the internships and career development field?
A: I love working with students. The best part for me is when I am working with an undecided student and that light bulb goes off - they have finalized a career goal, picked a major or an internship, or decided to go to graduate school. That for me is a great moment. I also enjoy the variety of working in an environment like this; it is never the same, day in and day out. One day I might be helping a student, the next, assisting staff to help develop the vision of what this office is all about. I can collaborate with faculty and help them with any questions about careers, or work with employers who are interested in posting a job or internship at Emmanuel.
Q: What services does the ICD office offer?
A: The ICD office offers a number of different services to all students and alumni. We help Emmanuel College students develop four-year career plans and research and decide on a major and career. A major service that we offer is to assist students in securing an internship - from helping students put together their résumé and cover letters to assisting them throughout the job search process with the goal of finding the right internship fit. We help with the interview process, conducting a mock interview and coaching students in what to expect, how to dress, and what to bring with them to the interview. We also help guide students throughout the grad school application process and assist with job networking as well. Overall, we provide a great deal of resources that some students may not realize we have.
Q: Do you have any goals for the ICD office in the future?
A: Yes, we would like to enhance our career programming offerings, including inviting more alumni back to campus to take part in career panels and workshops. I would also like to partner with student groups and organizations, such as the Student Government Association, and to be invited to their meetings so we can talk about our services to get a pulse of what they are looking for. I would also like to do more work with the Resident Assistants in the residence halls to connect with students there. The other piece is to do more employment development. We are focused on working with all different types of employers because we have such a diverse number of majors at Emmanuel College, with a student body that possesses a diverse interest in careers.
To learn more about the Office of Internships and Career Development, click here.
