Job or Internship opportunities this summer???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This may be why my college student has yet to find an internship, because so many kids jump on the internship train in high school. My college kids have steadily worked a variety of lawn care, retail, and other jobs and are behind their peers who have been taking unpaid “internships” each summer.

Nonsense. In high school, a real job is better than a lot of unpaid internships, PP. In college, working in one's chosen field is what's important, whether it's billed as a job or an internship, paid or unpaid. Don't let semantics throw you off!

Everyone keeps saying this, but come on! I agree scooping ice cream is a good learning experience (getting along with co-workers, disgruntled customers, being on time, doing a job for people who are not family/friends). But once you have that experience, kind of diminishing returns, and I think valuable to learn/ do something else - see how a lab is run, see what the research grind is all about. Nobody on this board wants their kids doing menial labor/non-intellectual jobs as future careers (another reason good for kids to experience so you know you don't want to do that long term).

Here's the order of summer occupations, from most important to least:

1. Prestigious, paid, selective internship. Those exist mostly in scientific research. They're akin to college applications where you need to write essays (I'm the PP from upthread whose daughter got a Smithsonian internship - she needed to write 4 mini essays), show your grades, possibly test scores, and what else you've done that qualifies you for the research internship. Some of the best internships have a 3% acceptance rate. They're more selective than the Ivy League. Even better if your supervisor writes a letter of recommendation.

2. Less selective internships, possibly unpaid, but one in which you still need to show good standing OR paid job where you can show that you've learned how real life works. Even better if your employer writes a letter of recommendation.

4. Pay-to-play internships, some of which can be somewhat selective, and are akin to those in group 2. Some are open to whoever is ready to pay and are in group 5. Parents go for those in the hope that college admissions won't know the differences, and indeed, some might now, but the most selective universities DO know the difference. Beware of those.

5. Paid job of the gig economy type (baby sitting, yard work, for neighbors and friends) where achievement is hard to measure. Similarly: starting your own business or non-profit. If there is a third party confirmation of your achievements in that realm, then it goes up to 3 or possibly 2 if it's of national importance. But if no third party can confirm anything, it's a 5.

6. Doing nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:High school internships aren’t real, and they would have filled in January anyway.

Www.NavalSTEM.us

There are both high school and college level paid internships available in metro DC and in several other metro areas. US citizenship (not green card) is required in most cases and will be checked.

For the college level internships, the student often (not always) can be converted to full-time after graduation easily if the government wants to hire the person.

[Anonymous]

As a lab scientists, I am VERY hesitant to bring in high school interns. The return is usually not worth the investment of time and energy. In this economy, there are plenty of college students and recent grads who are willing to intern and a lot more capable. I'd rather pay more in salary and spend less man hours training kids.
My kid worked at the pool for all 4 summers of high school and ended up getting being one of the pool operators. I think that a leadership position at work is just as impressive as doing grunt work in a lab.

[Anonymous]

My kid got his college internships because he had regular summer jobs for years before. Most employers don’t want kids who have zero prior work experience.

[Anonymous]

My high stats DD got a stellar unpaid internship working on the James Webb telescope with STScI. It was very rewarding and she cold called and sent emails to several NASA and other similar internships and got no response. But this company was so nice and th coolest thing was she works from home part of the time and in the office at John’s Hopkins the rest.
She is at UMDCP and she just landed a unicorn paid internship for 11 weeks and paid travel to NM and MI, housing, and out her meals all covered in addition to $870/week. She will be doing field and research study on seismology and other geological interests. Next year, she is in queue for an overseas paid internship. This should help with applying to grad school. Look early, aim high, call them, visit, put yourself out there and make sure you are ready with a portfolio. Be professional!

[Anonymous]

We are taking a high school intern for their 2-week "work in the real world" program because it's a favor to a board member. This person will in no way, shape or form be anything but a burden (through no fault of their own, even full-time experienced hires taking at least a month to get up to speed).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My high stats DD got a stellar unpaid internship working on the James Webb telescope with STScI. It was very rewarding and she cold called and sent emails to several NASA and other similar internships and got no response. But this company was so nice and th coolest thing was she works from home part of the time and in the office at John’s Hopkins the rest.
She is at UMDCP and she just landed a unicorn paid internship for 11 weeks and paid travel to NM and MI, housing, and out her meals all covered in addition to $870/week. She will be doing field and research study on seismology and other geological interests. Next year, she is in queue for an overseas paid internship. This should help with applying to grad school. Look early, aim high, call them, visit, put yourself out there and make sure you are ready with a portfolio. Be professional!

Wow, this is so cool. Did she work at STScI during HS? Website says they only take undergrads and the program dates are June 1 - July 31 so wondering how she did it in HS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This may be why my college student has yet to find an internship, because so many kids jump on the internship train in high school. My college kids have steadily worked a variety of lawn care, retail, and other jobs and are behind their peers who have been taking unpaid “internships” each summer.

Nonsense. In high school, a real job is better than a lot of unpaid internships, PP. In college, working in one's chosen field is what's important, whether it's billed as a job or an internship, paid or unpaid. Don't let semantics throw you off!

Everyone keeps saying this, but come on! I agree scooping ice cream is a good learning experience (getting along with co-workers, disgruntled customers, being on time, doing a job for people who are not family/friends). But once you have that experience, kind of diminishing returns, and I think valuable to learn/ do something else - see how a lab is run, see what the research grind is all about. Nobody on this board wants their kids doing menial labor/non-intellectual jobs as future careers (another reason good for kids to experience so you know you don't want to do that long term).

Here's the order of summer occupations, from most important to least:

1. Prestigious, paid, selective internship. Those exist mostly in scientific research. They're akin to college applications where you need to write essays (I'm the PP from upthread whose daughter got a Smithsonian internship - she needed to write 4 mini essays), show your grades, possibly test scores, and what else you've done that qualifies you for the research internship. Some of the best internships have a 3% acceptance rate. They're more selective than the Ivy League. Even better if your supervisor writes a letter of recommendation.

2. Less selective internships, possibly unpaid, but one in which you still need to show good standing OR paid job where you can show that you've learned how real life works. Even better if your employer writes a letter of recommendation.

4. Pay-to-play internships, some of which can be somewhat selective, and are akin to those in group 2. Some are open to whoever is ready to pay and are in group 5. Parents go for those in the hope that college admissions won't know the differences, and indeed, some might now, but the most selective universities DO know the difference. Beware of those.

5. Paid job of the gig economy type (baby sitting, yard work, for neighbors and friends) where achievement is hard to measure. Similarly: starting your own business or non-profit. If there is a third party confirmation of your achievements in that realm, then it goes up to 3 or possibly 2 if it's of national importance. But if no third party can confirm anything, it's a 5.

6. Doing nothing.

That’s an awful lot of writing to not include paid jobs like lifeguarding, camp counselor, landscape crew, other jobs with verifiable information.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This may be why my college student has yet to find an internship, because so many kids jump on the internship train in high school. My college kids have steadily worked a variety of lawn care, retail, and other jobs and are behind their peers who have been taking unpaid “internships” each summer.

Nonsense. In high school, a real job is better than a lot of unpaid internships, PP. In college, working in one's chosen field is what's important, whether it's billed as a job or an internship, paid or unpaid. Don't let semantics throw you off!

Everyone keeps saying this, but come on! I agree scooping ice cream is a good learning experience (getting along with co-workers, disgruntled customers, being on time, doing a job for people who are not family/friends). But once you have that experience, kind of diminishing returns, and I think valuable to learn/ do something else - see how a lab is run, see what the research grind is all about. Nobody on this board wants their kids doing menial labor/non-intellectual jobs as future careers (another reason good for kids to experience so you know you don't want to do that long term).

Here's the order of summer occupations, from most important to least:

1. Prestigious, paid, selective internship. Those exist mostly in scientific research. They're akin to college applications where you need to write essays (I'm the PP from upthread whose daughter got a Smithsonian internship - she needed to write 4 mini essays), show your grades, possibly test scores, and what else you've done that qualifies you for the research internship. Some of the best internships have a 3% acceptance rate. They're more selective than the Ivy League. Even better if your supervisor writes a letter of recommendation.

2. Less selective internships, possibly unpaid, but one in which you still need to show good standing OR paid job where you can show that you've learned how real life works. Even better if your employer writes a letter of recommendation.

4. Pay-to-play internships, some of which can be somewhat selective, and are akin to those in group 2. Some are open to whoever is ready to pay and are in group 5. Parents go for those in the hope that college admissions won't know the differences, and indeed, some might now, but the most selective universities DO know the difference. Beware of those.

5. Paid job of the gig economy type (baby sitting, yard work, for neighbors and friends) where achievement is hard to measure. Similarly: starting your own business or non-profit. If there is a third party confirmation of your achievements in that realm, then it goes up to 3 or possibly 2 if it's of national importance. But if no third party can confirm anything, it's a 5.

6. Doing nothing.

Did you forget #3?
You seem awfully centered around “achievement” and “national importance” when most high school internships are BS anyway especially pay to play.
A regular real-life job is looked upon very favorably by colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:High school internships aren’t real, and they would have filled in January anyway.

Www.NavalSTEM.us

There are both high school and college level paid internships available in metro DC and in several other metro areas. US citizenship (not green card) is required in most cases and will be checked.

For the college level internships, the student often (not always) can be converted to full-time after graduation easily if the government wants to hire the person.

And the deadline for these was in early January

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This may be why my college student has yet to find an internship, because so many kids jump on the internship train in high school. My college kids have steadily worked a variety of lawn care, retail, and other jobs and are behind their peers who have been taking unpaid “internships” each summer.

Nonsense. In high school, a real job is better than a lot of unpaid internships, PP. In college, working in one's chosen field is what's important, whether it's billed as a job or an internship, paid or unpaid. Don't let semantics throw you off!

Everyone keeps saying this, but come on! I agree scooping ice cream is a good learning experience (getting along with co-workers, disgruntled customers, being on time, doing a job for people who are not family/friends). But once you have that experience, kind of diminishing returns, and I think valuable to learn/ do something else - see how a lab is run, see what the research grind is all about. Nobody on this board wants their kids doing menial labor/non-intellectual jobs as future careers (another reason good for kids to experience so you know you don't want to do that long term).

Here's the order of summer occupations, from most important to least:

1. Prestigious, paid, selective internship. Those exist mostly in scientific research. They're akin to college applications where you need to write essays (I'm the PP from upthread whose daughter got a Smithsonian internship - she needed to write 4 mini essays), show your grades, possibly test scores, and what else you've done that qualifies you for the research internship. Some of the best internships have a 3% acceptance rate. They're more selective than the Ivy League. Even better if your supervisor writes a letter of recommendation.

2. Less selective internships, possibly unpaid, but one in which you still need to show good standing OR paid job where you can show that you've learned how real life works. Even better if your employer writes a letter of recommendation.

4. Pay-to-play internships, some of which can be somewhat selective, and are akin to those in group 2. Some are open to whoever is ready to pay and are in group 5. Parents go for those in the hope that college admissions won't know the differences, and indeed, some might now, but the most selective universities DO know the difference. Beware of those.

5. Paid job of the gig economy type (baby sitting, yard work, for neighbors and friends) where achievement is hard to measure. Similarly: starting your own business or non-profit. If there is a third party confirmation of your achievements in that realm, then it goes up to 3 or possibly 2 if it's of national importance. But if no third party can confirm anything, it's a 5.

6. Doing nothing.

That’s an awful lot of writing to not include paid jobs like lifeguarding, camp counselor, landscape crew, other jobs with verifiable information.

I did, it's in point 2. And sorry, I messed up and skipped 3!