Criminology and Linguistics Major's Career Adventure

What is your major and what year are you?

I am a Criminology and Linguistics double major. I am a junior.

What made you choose your major and/or career path?

I always wanted to be a morgue technician because of watching the X-Files as a kid, but quickly realized I did not want to take Chemistry or Math related courses. I took an administrative justice community college class in high school and fell in love with the subject. From then on I decided to study criminal justice and criminology related topics! Since studying Criminology at Hofstra I have become increasingly enamored with the topic of penal abolition and critical criminology. Which lead me to my interest in the nonprofit world.

Did the Career Center assist you and how? 

The Career Center was my guide the entire process of finding my first nonprofit internship. From instructing me on how to perfect my resume and cover letter to the mock interview to the very suit I wore the day of the interview (thanks to the Career Closet).

Where did you intern and what was your role? 

I am currently interning at the Association of Community Employment Programs for the homeless. ACE is an important nonprofit based in Long Island City that offers courses for post incarceration, homelessness, or addiction individuals foundational tools like computer classes, financial literacy, and housing aid to promote self sufficiency. There is only a limited amount of case workers and teachers programming these classes so my role as an intern is to provide additional support while a class is being taught. I work one on one with clients who need additional instruction with computer courses, mock interviews, and other classes that ACE offers. 

How has your on-campus involvement helped you market yourself to employers?

My on-campus involvement consists of only competing with the Hofstra Forensics Speech and Debate team! Public speaking is always a great talking point when being interviewed by employers and provides them with the information that you can literally argue competitively.  

What advice would you give to a student looking for an internship?

Browse! Scanning the site Idealist gave me access to the current internship I am in, but surfing the web or begging your professors for connections seems to do the trick. I would not have known about websites like Idealist or Indeed without the recommendation from the Career Center.