The millennial generation is becoming increasingly aware of how their career choice can contribute to the broader community. Bentley freshmen explored summer internship opportunities with non-profits at an April internship fair sponsored by the Undergraduate Career Services Office. Students who participated in CDI 101, a groundbreaking career development course for first-year students, attended the program with résumés in hand, prepared to network and gain insight into opportunities.

Career Services partnered with more than 33 non-profit organizations in the U.S. and abroad to offer paid, unpaid and for-credit opportunities. The program also received support from the Foundation for MetroWest.

“Many students felt prepared and comfortable speaking to the professional representatives after taking the CDI 101 class,” says Colleen Murphy, associate director of undergraduate career services. “Non-profit representatives appreciated the opportunity to connect with Bentley’s talented students. Following the program, many organizations contacted the Career Center to post additional internships and some have also decided to come on campus to interview our students.”

Internships offered a range of opportunities from social media and marketing opportunities to working on finance and accounting projects. Participating companies included the March of Dimes, Global Smile Foundation, Fair Housing Center of Greater Boston, Alzheimer's Association, Find your Missing Child, World Education and Seedling Labs.

“A great benefit of working for a non-profit organization is that students learn about different functional roles that exist in a non-profit setting, while often undertaking meaningful assignments,” Murphy says. “The ability to assume significant responsibilities in resource-constrained environments is valuable to both students and the partner organizations. It is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen a skill set, develop new skills, and make a difference.”