Experiential (Hands On) Learning Opportunities

An informational interview is an informal conversation, usually lasting 20-30 minutes, with a person working in a career field that interests you. It is not a job interview, and its purpose is not to find job openings. Rather, it’s a way to explore a given field, and it can also give you an opportunity to get an inside look at an organization where you may want to work in the future.

You may feel awkward reaching out to people you don’t know. However, most people actually enjoy taking a bit of time out of their day to reflect on their professional life and give advice to someone interested in their field.

Experience is experience, whether you were paid during it or not, so do not hesitate to speak to it on your résumé.  Aside from specific topics, you can also speak to the transferable skills honed in a college classroom setting such as time management, organization, leadership, and more.

Many courses at the FCB (and NAU) have simulation projects that have real world, hands-on learning that should be listed on your résumé. Additionally, courses such as MKT 494 (Strategic Marketing) and MKT 439 (Marketing Research), your group with meet with actual clients in our local community to develop a stategy and marketing plan to assit them in growing their business. Visit the FCB Career Develoment Office and meet with a Career Coach to assist you in getting these experiences on your résumé and learn how to discuss these in an interview!

Teaching assistants (TAs) are graduate students who help faculty with the delivery of courses. Roles and
responsibilities of TAs include, but are not limited to, grading, monitoring, proctoring exams, leading lab
and/or discussion sessions, offering office hour assistance to students, responding to student emails,
and performing clerical tasks associated with course instruction. Teaching assistants are supervised by
the course instructor who fully defines their roles and responsibilities.

Positions will be posted in Handshake each semester.

An SI Leader is a peer facilitator who facilitates 3 study sessions each week for students who are taking the course they support. The SI leader works with their Faculty Partner to identify patterns of difficulty for students taking the course and material/concepts that need to be emphasized at a given time.

IMPORTANT: An SI Leader is not an instructor or lecturer, but is, instead, a study-group facilitator. SI Leaders work closely with a faculty partner to ensure that SI study/review sessions are relevant, on-point, and tailored to meets the needs of students—all while utilizing an interactive model that promotes student-to-student engagement.  

SI Leader Responsibilities:

• Attend and participate in SI Leader Orientation, which is part of the SI Leader job training course; SI Leader Orientation is a 2-day training that takes place on the weekend before the start of the fall and spring semesters. (Fall Semester: Orientation typically takes place on Friday & Saturday prior to the start of the semester; Spring semester: Orientation typically takes place on Saturday & Sunday prior to the start of the semester)
• Attend and participate in additional SI Leader Job Training during the first semester as an SI Leader by attending nine 1-hour SI Leader job training classes on Monday evenings from 5:45-6:45PM; attendance in job training is required.
• Attend designated class(es) regularly and assist in class as needed.
• Hold three one-hour study sessions each week.
• Interact and collaborate with Faculty Partner on a weekly basis.
• Develop content and study skills materials to use in SI sessions; complete Session Plan Templates throughout the semester.
• Plan and conduct a Week 1 SI Outreach event for students in the class you support; continue reaching out to students in creative ways throughout the semester—encouraging them to attend SI regularly.
• Communicate proactively with SI Program staff and Faculty Partner and do so in a timely manner.
• Maintain accurate attendance records.
• · Attend SI Program meetings, professional development mentoring and training throughout the semester; submit Session Plans, Observations of a Returning SI Leader and Professional Development Reflections as scheduled.

To find out more about postions at the Academic Success Centers and to apply for a role, visit their website at:

Applications will be through Handshake.

At Northern Arizona University, students are given numerous opportunities to shape their experience and contribute to Lumberjack life. Whether you choose to run for an elected position, establish a new organization, or give back to your community, you have the opportunity to engage in shaping your Lumberjack experience. This is your opportunity to sharpen your leadership skills, learn about yourself and others, make connections and have fun.

NAU is home to more than 400 student organizations, meaning there are more than 400 opportunities for you to find other Lumberjacks who share your interests and passions.

Holding a formal leadership role by serving on the “Executive Committee” of your student organization can help you build transferable skills such as:

• Leadership
• Organization
• Event Planning
• Fundraising
• Recruiting Members
• Managing and Creating Content for Social Media
• And much more!

Student competitions provide many opportunities for students, including, giving a platform for you to demonstratate your talent and to paractice/showcase your skills to potential employers. They represent effective ways of securing internships, scholarships, jobs and exposure to real-world issues.

Read this great article from the Top Universities blog on how to use competitions to lauch your career!

FCB Competitions Examples

Sales Competitions

• National Colliegate Sales Competition NCSC
• AT&T
• Arizona Colliegate Sales Competition ACSC

Association for Supply Chain Management APICS Case Study Comp

Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF)

CAIED 7^th Generation Business Plan Competition

CFA Global Investment Research Comp

DECA Competitions

Hackathons are programming events that last anywhere from 24 hours to one week. The purpose of a hackathon is a for a group of programmers to work together on a collaborative project. Most hackathons are competitions where several teams are competing to create prototypes that innovate on a theme or improve upon an existing project. 

From LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-should-students-participate-hackathons-liisa-koivisto/ (What a hackathon offers you?)

What hackathon offers you?

• Challenges you to expand your comfort zone. If you want to learn programming or software design, hackathon is the place to push your skills to the next level.
• Inspiring learning environment. If you usually learn at school or at home, hackathon is certainly a different and exciting place to learn.
• Mentoring and support. There is help available for hackers, so you can ask for help and learn faster.
• Better coding skills and motivation to improve them. At hackathon you can apply all what you have learned to real projects. This can even motivate you to try out new things such as new APIs before the hackathon.
• Presentation skills. Pitching your newly born and unfinished idea and implementation to judges can be scary, but have the courage to do so and you will thank yourself later. It gets easier with practice and especially when you realize that your team wasn’t the only one to run out of time.
• Networking. Meet like-minded people and find friends for future.
• Working under pressure. Usually hackathons have a time limit from 24 to 48 hours which both inspires and challenges. This also might lead to lack of sleep which adds a new level of trickiness.
• Teambuilding skills. You can build your team beforehand or find team members via organizer’s social channels before the hackathon. Hackathons often begin with a matchmaking event where you can also find team members. Or if you prefer you can also work alone.
• Teamworking skills. Working with different people is the spice of hackathons. Use this possibility to improve your people skills.
• An unforgettable experience. It might exhaust you, tire you, but also surprise you with hilarious moments and top-notch people. And you will definitely learn about yourself and the industry. It will be worth it.
• Feeling of accomplishment. At hackathons you get things done because there is a deadline and aim. In one weekend you accomplish something and have a new case for your portfolio.
• Improves your resume. Participating a hackathon is a must-thing to have on your resume if you want to land to a developer job.
• Improves your recruitment possibilities. Recruiters are at hackathons and they are hunting.

Micro-Internships are short-term, paid and unpaid, professional assignments that are similar to those given to new hires or interns. These projects enable you to demonstrate skills, explore career paths, and build their networks as you search for the right role. Unlike traditional internships, Micro-Internships can take place year-round, range from 10 to 40 hours of work, are completely remote, and students can complete multiple Micro-Internships.  

We have partnered with Parker Dewey and the Forage to provide opportunities to pursue a Micro-Internship. 

Students and employers have an opportunity to work with one another before committing to an internship or full-time role.

To find Micro Internship opportunities on our website, search the “Career Communities” and “Affinity/Identity” tabs and click on “Build Skills and Experience” to view all of the experiences.

• Sign up for Volunteer Match and find opportunities in your community or around the country.
• Interested in sustainability? Check out NAU Green programs for student groups, community programs, and campus initiatives to get involved with
• Idealist.org is a PAID job and internship website for students looking for opportunities in not-for-profit companies. They also have volunteer opportunities around the world.
• Volunteer with NAU’s Center for Service and Volunteerism.
• AmeriCorps hires students to serve at over 30 agencies throughout Coconino County.
• Develop communication and interpersonal skills by becoming a mentor.

Sometimes it takes thinking outside the box to find an internship opportunity that aligns with your interests and values, utilizes your strengths, and develops specific new skills. In addition to applying to posted positions, many students have had success creating an internship with an existing contact, or via direct outreach to an organization of interest.

Creating your own internship is about harnessing your existing skills, developing professional connections within your field of interest, and being persistent. Sometimes this is simply a matter of good timing, or consistent follow-up.

Contact a previous employer. Students regularly have success in creating an internship by connecting with previous part-time job employers and adding value to the organization based on first-hand knowledge of an organization’s needs and how they can apply their area of academic study

Research and connect with organizations in the industry or location in which you are hoping to work. Search for companies using Handshake, LinkedIn, Idealist.org, Glassdoor.com, the local Chamber of Commerce, professional association member organizations and other sites. It may be that an organization already has an internship program with established positions and objectives. If an organization does not have an established internship program, it may be possible to propose an internship or project-based experience.

The Career Contessa blog has excellent advice on how to create your own internship.