Website helps find perfect match for internships

Business student Aman Choudhury consults for a website, WickedSmart, that finds internship matches.

WickedSmart is an online program that aims to help match students and employers based on mutual interests and skills.

“The profiles you make are a lot like Facebook,” said Aman Choudhury, a senior in finance and intern at Adecco Group, who  is working on a consulting project for WickedSmart.

“You can add as much work and volunteer information as you want so you look as ideal of a candidate as possible for these companies.”

WickedSmart finds paid internships for students in technology, business and finance. They also have a blog that gives general advice to any student looking for an internship or job.

“I work as a financial analyst and help get students to sign up,” Choudhury said.

“I got this internship on pure luck with perfect timing — I signed up right when they happened to be looking for someone like me.”

WickedSmart acts as a mediator between the company and student. They help make the match, but it’s up to the student and company to schedule an interview.

“It makes the companies more proactive,” Choudhury said. “They are the ones finding people and scheduling the interview. Students are then allowed to accept or decline those invites.”

Several thousand students from more than 100 colleges across the country have created profiles on the WickedSmart website, said CEO Grant Fields.

“It allows students to have positive experiences at their internships and gain valuable experience and knowledge,” Choudhury said.

“We especially make sure these companies aren’t abusing their interns’ actual roles.”

For more information on WickedSmart, email Choudhury at aman@wickedsmart.me.

• Britney Musial is a recent graduate in English. Reach her at bmusia2@uic.edu