(Indianapolis, IN – April 2017) As National Student Employment Week comes to a close and IUPUI’s Top 100 ceremony concludes for another year, one student who represents both categories advocates the benefits of internships and resources. Adetoun Akinmboni is a junior Top 100 student majoring in informatics at IUPUI as well as a student employee in the Office of Admissions and the Office of Student Employment in the Division of Undergraduate Education. She attributes her responsibilities in both of these offices to helping her become more proficient in public speaking and career goal planning.
As a campus ambassador for the Office of Admissions, Akinmboni takes high school students on tours of the campus. Similarly, she is a student employment ambassador in the Office of Student Employment in which her primary role is managing that office’s social media. At first, Akinmboni felt challenged by this role, worried that as a Nigerian native her English skills would make communicating in social media posts difficult, but it has not been an issue. Another part of Akinmboni’s job in the Office of Student Employment includes advertising, using hundreds of resources.
While attending various technology conferences related to her role managing social media for the Office of Student Employment, Akinmboni decided that she would like a career as a technology consultant. She made a point of connecting with potential employers at the conferences and is preparing for her fourth internship this summer. She said, “I definitely feel like it is going to be easier for me to find a full-time job through internships.”
The most valuable lesson Akinmboni has learned as a student employee at IUPUI is asking for help. “Use the resources available and ask for help,” she urges students. “You are paying tuition, why not?”
While discussing how helpful her jobs have been, Akinmboni said, “Everything that [they] have taught me about being professional, I am able to use.”
For more information, contact Harriett Bennett at 317-274-5036 or email hbennett@iupui.edu.