Last week, we had a successful coffee morning for IMME students looking to start making a careers plan. I cannot stress enough how much planning can help you to execute some worthwhile job or research experience.
For those of you who could not make it here are some things to think about in terms of planning.
Something to Do This Summer? Find a Mentor
Think about looking for a mentor. There are so many free mentoring programs. It is a great idea to jump onto one of these.
Join StudentMentor.org and/or Great Minds in Stem and see if you can find a mentor. NOGLSTP (geared towards Engineering and Science) has a mentoring program but bear in mind it is only open to LGBTQ+ students. SCORE offers free mentoring to entrepreneurs. Women students might apply to the FWA(Financial Women’s Association). Morgan Stanley have great mentoring programs, as do J.P. Morgan Chase.
Next Semester: August
Careers Coaching
Look into Careers Coaching from OSU Arts & Sciences. They can help with: identifying how your major relates to career options; strengthening your resume; orienting you to the Readiness Competencies (RCs); teaching you how to network; and providing tips on how to find internships or other opportunities.
Finding Work or Research Opportunities
- Check out the American Mathematical Society for more applied-type student opportunities.
- If you are looking for paid work, consider applying for work as a peer tutor at OSU ($13 per hour).
- Consider getting involved with Math to Industry which have events and career resources.
- Look out for undergraduate Math job opportunities.
- Keep an eye out for Arts and Sciences job fairs.
- Try to secure an internship for summer 2026 in the fall term, so that you can then apply for an Accelerator Grant to help cover your costs. Here is a helpful guide to finding and negotiating an internship.
- Independent study and thesis projects can be good for showing rigorous analytical and organizational skills via the English department or Mathematics department. Professors who have expressed interest in supervising IMME students include: from English: Prof. Alan B. Farmer, Prof. Molly J. Farrell, Prof. John Jones and Dr. Cathy Ryan; from Math: Prof. Jim Fowler, Prof. John Johnson, and Prof. Dan Thompson. We can also partner with captains of industry to seek to solve real world problems, for example Dennis Baer who is on the Math Advisory Committee.
Before the Winter Holidays
Consider Study Abroad opportunities in the English department, or prep to apply for a Summer Library Fellowship for the following summer, which will pay you to work on library collections. See Why a Summer Library Fellowship is a Great Idea.
