Externship Opportunity:

The Florida State University Career Center partnered with Dr. Woodie Woodward, the former associate administrator of airports for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to provide an externship experience to one current FSU student. A second-year graduate student at the time, Jackson Harris was selected by Dr. Woodward for this inaugural externship, lasting from January to December 2015. Jackson had previously completed two internships in airport management and hopes to build his career in Florida’s aviation and airport management industry.

In addition to the externship opportunity, what were some other Career Center services you used or events you attended?

Resume improvement, interview practice

What did you learn from the externship experience?

Direct knowledge from the field of federal legislation and policy in airport administration, in addition to the first opportunities to attend aviation/airport administration-related conferences (American Association of Airport Executives). This knowledge directly helps me in my line of work, which largely concerns developing master plans for airports to be concurrent with FAA and other federal standards. Additionally, networking opportunities from airport and field-related professionals from around the country.

What advice do you have for current students?

Pursuing internships is just as important (if not more so) as you are constantly told. The experiences gained from being thrown directly into working in one’s desired field are unparalleled and take one much further than the classroom. It is also the single best way to meet professionals in your field, who can vouch for your own experience and work ethic later on. Going into graduate school, I had no coursework in my field but four relevant internships, which was key.

What are your future goals?

Continue to work in the aviation planning field and learn from experience in multiple disciplines. Work my way up, becoming skilled in multiple areas of expertise and perhaps someday, administer a large hub airport.