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Before Madison Mundy put on her cap and gown, she already had accepted a full-time position as a marketing coordinator for Burgess & Niple, a Columbus-area engineering firm.
"It feels amazing to be able to say that I landed a position before I graduated," the strategic communication major said.
Employers want to hire people with skills like Mundy's: The top three attributes recruiters look for on student resumes are communication skills, problem-solving skills and the ability to work in teams. (Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers, 2018.)
At Ohio State, Madison Mundy gained the confidence and skills to seek out connections to help build her career.
Mundy credits Ohio State with pushing her out of her comfort zone to work with — and learn from — different kinds of thinkers. Mundy said her early coursework and experiences at Ohio State first prepared her to collaborate with and learn from her peers. Then, two internships at the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) helped awaken her passion for the field of marketing.
"Ohio State really provided me with the tools that I needed to be successful in a professional setting, not only from a skillset point of view but from a social point of view," Mundy said.
Ohio State empowers students to find opportunities to build skills that will serve them for life. An Ohio State survey of 2017-18 graduates points to the importance of internships and related experiences in early career success for young Ohio State alumni:
- More than 70 percent of students report participating in an internship, job shadow or other experience related to their academic major.
- More than a third of those Buckeyes accepted a post-graduation job offer with the organization where they worked or interned.
The Ohio State experience empowers Buckeyes to embrace success.
The rankings reflect what happens from the time students set foot on campus to the day they join our global network of more than 550,000 living alumni.
Among the many opportunities to take advantage of Ohio State's experiences:
- A focus on relationships. On campus, many Ohio State students live in learning communities, where they make meaningful connections with peers and faculty members. These communities offer a first step in building the confidence and skills that will help them thrive in their careers. (A survey of these students found they're more likely to seek out a variety of learning experiences at Ohio State and plan for life after graduation.)
- A vibrant city. Columbus means opportunity. As the 14th largest city in the nation, our city has a healthy economy that provides opportunities for professional growth, from internships and co-ops to full-time careers.
- Thriving programs to support students' career journeys. Buckeye Careers programs guide students through the career path, from finding a major to landing the right internship to starting a career.
- An open and welcoming network. Graduates leave Ohio State with family around the globe — a world-wide community of 550,000 people ready to connect. "Buckeyes look out for other Buckeyes," says Mundy, who first connected with her new employer at an Ohio State Parents Weekend event.
See how Ohio State prepared these alumni for careers in art, engineering and media.
Natalie Sideserf | Cake sculptor
Fine arts major
"While I was at Ohio State, I was using these different materials, and I was learning how to sculpt and be artistic. So when I approach cake, I approach it in the exact same way. My education at Ohio State was absolutely necessary and absolutely influences how I work with cake today, and why I've had some successful moments."
Charles Fryer | Real Time Optimization Engineer, ExxonMobile
Chemical and biomolecular engineering major
"I've made lifelong connections from the research I've done at Ohio State. I was doing a lot of simulation work in Dr. (Liang-Shih) Fan's lab. A lot of it was computer-based modeling and simulations. What I'm doing at ExxonMobil is basically the same thing, just more in-depth. What I was doing in Dr. Fan's lab directly relates to my job."
Zuri Hall | E! News co-anchor
Strategic communications major
"My classes on campus really taught me how to think strategically, how to sharpen a brand message and then how to communicate that effectively to large amounts of people. That is literally what I do every day now."
Share Buckeye grads are ready to take on the world
