Center for Pathway Experiences
Tips for Pathway Experiences
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Explore Pathway Experiences
Pathway experiences include internships, practicums, undergraduate research, cooperative education (co-ops), fieldwork, and other hands-on opportunities that align with your academic and career goals. Undergraduate students can schedule an in-person or virtual appointment to discuss their pathways search, explore career interests, and discover strategies and resources to help build career readiness.
Whether you're just getting started or ready to pursue an opportunity, Career Services is here to help you take the next step. Explore the resources below to jump-start your search, gain valuable experience, and move closer to achieving your career goals!
This platform connects college students with paid, short-term professional projects known as micro-internships. These opportunities are primarily remote and typically require 5–40 hours of work, making them a flexible way to gain real-world experience, develop professional skills, and build your resume. Projects are available across a variety of industries and career fields.
Discover potential internship postings for your major. Search by major and see the options available in your career field. Next, scroll to the bottom of the page to view job boards, professional association, job outlook, and more.
Pathways Scholarship and Graduation Cords
Pathways Scholarship💰
To help offset the costs of pursuing a summer pathway or internship experience and to assist with student financial need, Southern Miss awards competitive scholarships to undergraduate students who have accepted a pathways position. The following requirements may be modified as necessary to ensure compliance with institutional, state and federal guidelines.
- The applicant must have been offered and accepted a pathway experience before applying for this scholarship.
- Evidence of financial need to help cover expenses, such as housing and travel.
- Evidence of a meaningful experience and involvement in significant professional work or research.
- Evidence the experience will provide opportunities to apply academic studies to the work or research experience.
- Evidence the experience is related to the student's post-graduation career goals.
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Preference will be given to students scheduled to graduate in the 12 months following the application and then to students who will have another year to pursue a pathway experience as a Southern Miss undergraduate. -
Student must be returning to Southern Miss as a full-time student after their pathway experience. -
International students must include verification that they are eligible for Curricular Practical Training (CPT).
- Pathway experiences must be full-time (30-40 hours per week) for a minimum of eight continuous weeks during the SUMMER.
- Alternatives may be considered given equivalent time commitments as applicable.
- Internships on the Southern Miss campus are NOT eligible for a pathways scholarship.
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The Pathways Scholarship Program does not fund workshops, conferences, travel study programs, study abroad, courses or other learning experiences. -
Pathway experiences in areas listed on the government sanction list or the U.S. State Department Travel Warning List are not eligible for this scholarship.
- Search for Pathways Summer Scholarship and click the gold “Apply” button
- Students must have already accepted a pathway experience and submit the complete application to be considered.
Pathways Graduation Cord🎓
Have you completed an internship, student teaching, clinical, research, or fieldwork experience aligned with your career goals?
Celebrate your hard work and earn a free graduation cord!
Whether your pathway was in the form of an internship, collaborative research, practicum/clinical assignment, student teaching, part-time job related to your career goals, or other fieldwork you have gained new insights and skills that will serve you well in your post-graduation goals.
Research shows that to maximize your pathway, it is important to stop, reflect, and analyze this experience. The Pathway Reflection was developed to help guide you through these steps. The time and thought you put into your reflection will contribute to formulating "your story" that you will convey in your resume, cover letters, and interviews.
Pathway cords are distributed the semester you graduate.
Planning for a pathways opportunity is appropriate at any time during your academic career. Job shadowing can be done as early as freshman year. Some employers require applicants to have completed specific classes before applying. Requirements can vary by employer and by industry so start looking for opportunities by your sophomore year. In addition to working with the Pathways Program, check with your academic department as some academic disciplines require an internship, practicum or student teaching during the last semester of senior year.
Set Goals - Meet with your supervisor at the beginning of your experience to outline expectations and establish goals you would like to accomplish. Make sure to request weekly feedback from your supervisor to make sure you are on the right track.
Watch and Learn - Understanding the culture of an organization is important. Review the organization's website, marketing materials, policies, and procedures. Observe and seek guidance from your colleagues.
Meet Your Coworkers - Introduce yourself! Building connections is key to growing your professional network. Your supervisor and coworkers may be more likely to recommend you for future opportunities if they are familiar with your personality and work ethic.
Be Professional - Be mindful of how you present yourself. Limit when and where you use your phone. Arrive early, dress appropriately for your career field, proof read emails and message before sending them. Never hesitate to ask questions and don’t forget the basics of common courtesy – be punctual, follow up, and follow through.
Stay Organized - Take notes during meetings and keep to-do lists with deadlines. Maintain a clean and organized workspace. Make sure you are aware of all office policies in regard to accessing and/or sharing files and documents. When in doubt, ask for clarification.
Manage Your Time Wisely - Always complete projects on time, and when one task is done – ask for another. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with projects, talk to your supervisor about prioritizing your work.
Keep Track of Your Projects - Keep a list of the projects you are working on so you can discuss your progress with your supervisor. It will also help you remember the details when it's time to update your resume, add to a portfolio, or talk about projects in a future interview. Ask if you can keep examples of projects you have worked on for a portfolio. Some of the information might be confidential, so always get approval before taking any copies of work with you.
Leave on a Good Note - Be sure to express your gratitude for the experience, tie up any loose ends or leave detailed notes on projects that were not completed, and if you had a positive experience with the employer, make it known when you are starting the full time job hunt.
Use your pathway/internship as a springboard into your full-time career path by making an effort to develop what employers call career readiness competency skills:
