The Association of Information Management students have put together this helpful guide written by the students of the MSIM program to help you get started
MSIM Day Questions.
Q: When should I start looking and applying for internships?
A: Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarter. Research the companies you are interested in and note what time of the year they are recruiting – some firms have already begun recruiting interns, but the majority will start in the late winter/early spring. Don’t worry if you get a late start, the majority of last year’s students didn’t get internships until mid-late spring.
Q: Where should I look for internships?
A: Husky Jobs, iMSIM, iStuJobs, and iProJobs, Idealist.org. Another great place to look for internships is to research companies that are coming on-campus (career fairs, "Meet the firm", special events, etc.) and see what jobs they have on their website.
Q: What do people do in their spare time?
A: It varies! Many students spend time in the iSalon working on projects or socializing. The Ave is another popular place to relax.
Q: How do I prepare for internships?
A: The Career Center has loads of valuable information. Attend as many workshops as you can (check http://careers.washington.edu/Calendar for upcoming events). Make sure to tailor your resume and cover letter to each job you apply for!
General Questions
Q: What are some of the jobs that people get when they graduate?
A: System Analyst, IT Risk and Assurance, Information Architect, Content Management and Architect, User Experience Architect, Taxonomist, Business Analyst, IT Consultant, Project Manager, Interaction Design, Web Content Manager, CIO, Program Manager, User Experience Architect, Security Administrator.
Q: What are some of the cool places on the Ave for students to hang out at?
A: College Inn, Cafe Solstice, Shultzy’s, The Big Time Brewery (good food and specials each day of the week, Sunday is a great deal!), Kai's Bistro and Lounge
Q: Where can I learn about previous student evaluations of classes?
A: http://www.ischool.washington.edu/courses/evaluations.aspx
Q: What are the top 5 on campus events not to miss?
A: Career Fair (don't wear jeans)
A: Hanging out with your professor after the last class
A: MSIM Spring BBQ
A: Kevin Desouza's Career Fair Advice Session
A: MSIM Fall Mixer
Day TIPS
- Study for Jake's quizzes!
- If you want to get an internship with a big name company, you need to start looking by September. ie; The big 5 consulting firms hire interns in September.
- Spend time with your classmates and be open-minded, networking is not only the best way to get to know the new environment but a great way to get an internship.
- Compete in some of the case challenges. They're a good chance get experience solving real business problems. In some of them, you can interact with actual companies and work on real business problems. Both iSchool and B-School are good places to look for them.
- Create your own website before applying to internships -- it will give you a competitive edge.
General TIPS:
- Take time for yourself and stay sane. Go to the gym, hang out with friends, etc...
- Use second year students as a resource. They have invaluable information!
- Set reminders for homework and projects.
- Try and mix up the group members for projects -- meeting new people is a good experience.
- Consider that not all meetings have to be in person—go virtual, often, as a way to keep tabs on progress.
- Make time to read at least 2-3 hours per day, this leads to meaningful contributions to class and team work.
- Be curious. Play with new applications/tools, this is the time to investigate and rehearse.
- Don’t be shy. Engage your fellow classmates on best practices and workflow considerations—we’re all here to learn, especially from each other.
- Volunteer for activities and events you are interested in.
- Relax! It's not that bad.
Tools
Networking & Staying in Touch
- Q&AIMS (http://www.aimsuw.org/qandaims.php)
- Mail Lists (imsim, ichat, iprojobs, iworld, etc.; http://www.ischool.washington.edu/resources/listservs.aspx)
- Facebook (Association of Information Management Students - UW MSIM)
- LinkedIn (University of Washington Association of Information Management)
- ASIS+T UX Nights (Elysian Brewery)
- AIMS Social Nights
This guide has been written by students. Some questions are unsuitable for students to answer and should be directed to Mike Crandall or Kathy Wong.
