Careers and Internships

The Office of Career Solutions at the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) can prepare you for, and maximize, your internship and job opportunities as well as any other post-graduate plans you may have. This office cultivates relationships with employers to bring more companies into the college to recruit our students.

Careers

The skills you’ll learn at IST will put you in high demand in the global workforce. In fact, IST’s job placement rate and average starting salary for new graduates are among the highest at Penn State.

Our graduates work in consulting, defense contracting, financial services, government agencies, and insurance industries, just to name a few. Many have also become successful entrepreneurs, with tech start-up companies that reach millions. IST’s strong curriculum also allows our graduates to pursue advanced degrees at highly regarded institutions around the country.

For more information:ist.psu.edu/careers

careers@ist.psu.edu 866-225-8707

College of Information Sciences and Technology

... people, information, and technology TH

AT’S IST

Placement and Salary Rates

78% placement rate

$60,200 average starting salary $60,509 IST major $59,200 SRA major

$5,167 average signing bonus for all majors

Sectors that hire our students

40% Consulting23% Government/Defense contracting17% Manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and education11% Financial 9% Technology

What do our students say?

“With the increasingly competitive job market, internships are quickly becoming essential to secure a coveted and respected job offer. IST Career Solutions provides you with the knowledge, resources, people, and experiences to help you land interviews and receive that desired internship or full-time job offer.”—Theo Schnieders ’13 IST/SRA

“The knowledge gained during my internships makes it much easier for me to get staffed on projects at Deloitte because I already have this base set of skills. IST made this all possible for me and I greatly appreciate them for it.” —Tammara Ross, ’11 IST

Visit us: facebook.com/ISTatPennState

Follow us: twitter.com/ISTatPennStatePenn State is committed to affi rmative action, equal opportunity,

and the diversity of its workforce. U. Ed. IST 13-30

Internships

Because an internship enhances your education, prepares you for professional life, and helps youmake good career decisions, it’s a required part of the IST curriculum. As a student intern, you set your professional development in motion and take charge of your future.

In addition to providing academic credit, an internship gives you the opportunity to gain and practice important technical skills in the real-world work environment while you improve your business skills, including leadership, communications, teamwork, project management, and problem-solving ability.

Career Solutions Services

• COMPASS: A job-posting system solely for IST students that allows you to search for internships, co-ops, and full-time jobs unique to your major. Compass is available to IST undergraduate students at all campuses.

• Workshops are available year round and are run by employers and Career Solutions staff members. Topics include: salary negotiation, dressing for success, personal branding through social media, and obtaining security clearances.

• Career counseling, interview coaching, résumé reviews, executive mentoring, corporate day trips, and networking events.

Career Fairs

IST offers two career fairs specifi cally for its students—Pro Expo in the fall and Future Forum in the spring. Both events draw Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and tech start-ups among others to the IST building to recruit students for internships and full-time jobs. These events are open to all undergraduate students in the college, regardless of major, campus or class standing—you can hit the ground running and begin building your professional network in your very fi rst semester.