Fresno State business students looking for Valley internships

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- If you're a Valley business interested in hiring a student intern, Fresno State wants to hear from you.

The college is looking to place business-savvy interns in jobs across the Valley but amid COVID-19, this is no easy task.

Fresno State's Craig School of Business typically places over 100 students a semester in local internships. However, amid the pandemic, many businesses have scaled back or even cut their intern programs.

Now the school is getting creative, making it easy and accessible for Valley businesses to hire their students.

Fresno State business student Samantha Quintanilla says she wasn't sure if she'd be able to find a college internship amid the pandemic.

"I was worried that some wouldn't accept interns because of the restrictions," said Quintanilla.

Thanks to the university's Hire Fresno State online job board, she's completed not one but two internships right here in Central California.

"I learned the whys," added Quintanilla. "Why I do this step, how could the advise I give my clients help them succeed."

Internships are a crucial part of the college experience and Fresno State is working hard to keep them alive amid the pandemic

"It has been a little more difficult because of the COVID restrictions," said Director of Student Experiences Micheala Ford. "Some employers haven't had the opportunity to open their doors and bring in new employees that aren't part of their staff already."

This semester, they're hoping to place dozens of qualified Fresno State business students in internships across the Valley.

"Finance, marketing, information systems, data analytics, we have almost every business option available of students still looking for positions," said Ford.

Internships can be paid or unpaid giving students, like Samantha, valuable on the job experience before she even enters the workforce.

"I wasn't nervous anymore to graduate," explained Quintanilla. "I had a feeling of what I'm going to get myself into after graduation and actually am excited."

Valley businesses looking for interns can register on the Hire Fresno State job board by January 28.