If a college student is unable to get an internship for the summer, what else?

[Anonymous]

Summer job is okay for that year. But I would say it is still reasonably early and he should be really really working to get an internship. Apply to everything that might work and be flexible on location, etc. My DD is in engineering and she got an internship after sophomore year because she was willing to go to rural Tennessee. She had a great experience there and it helped her get a great internship this year in San Jose. She probably applied to at least 50 internships last year just to get a few hits and finally get one.

[Anonymous]

Go for the cash...night stocker at the grocery store,

[Anonymous]

Summer job. Kids with no work experience on a resume have a harder time finding a job when they graduate.

[Anonymous]

Keep working on the internship, but widen the types of companies you are applying to and, for that first internship, be open to unpaid if you can swing it.

If still can't get anything field-related - or if that's only part time - get any paying job. Especially, if the student hasn't had any job before. Because really, if you are a college sophomore and have never held down a job, I'm not hiring you. Sophomore year summer is early and fine to do a mix of typical student jobs + research experience. I regularly hire interns and they are almost always rising seniors or new grads. I'm looking for related experience either through student projects in academic or extracurricular experiences, possibly prior internships but strong related projects are fine. But I also expect to see some retail, fast food, student office job, which shows me you know how to actually show up to work each day and deal with the annoyances and client service challenges of those jobs.

[Anonymous]

summer job

volunteer in an organization related to field of study/career interest
work on a political campaign

if studying a foreign language, take a class -- online is fine -- or find some other opportunity to practice (language skills can get rusty quickly -- and good skills are a real asset in post-college job search)

[Anonymous]

D didn't get her internship after junior year, she just went back to her unskilled usual summer job. Didn't hurt her one bit when she graduated -- had a job offer in July.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keep working on the internship, but widen the types of companies you are applying to and, for that first internship, be open to unpaid if you can swing it.

If still can't get anything field-related - or if that's only part time - get any paying job. Especially, if the student hasn't had any job before. Because really, if you are a college sophomore and have never held down a job, I'm not hiring you. Sophomore year summer is early and fine to do a mix of typical student jobs + research experience. I regularly hire interns and they are almost always rising seniors or new grads. I'm looking for related experience either through student projects in academic or extracurricular experiences, possibly prior internships but strong related projects are fine. But I also expect to see some retail, fast food, student office job, which shows me you know how to actually show up to work each day and deal with the annoyances and client service challenges of those jobs.

+1. Has your child exhausted the career center at their school? This is the job of the career center. Also ask every professor if they need assistance over the summer. Ask the university for help.

[Anonymous]

Take a language course abroad over the summer and live with a local family.

Otherwise, tell him to get a job. Jeez some kids are so entitled! My mom would have laughed if I had proposed volunteering or doing an unpaid internship over the summer. She'd wonder how I was going to pay my bills.

[Anonymous]

If he's in engineering, the best thing to do is work for a professor for the summer. There are usually some who will take undergrads, paying them little or nothing. But he definitely needs to get some experience on his resume in preparation for getting a critical "good internship" after junior year.

[Anonymous]

Safeway is where my DC spent his summer when he could not get an internship. Best crappy job ever. Terrible management at our local store. Real life lesson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Summer jobs, even in retail, camp, etc. have the potential for the following transferrable skills:

Multi-tasking
Customer relations, which translates to client skills
Responsibility
Reliability
Accountability

And as a hirer, i’d prefer someone with these skills over someone who spent a summer making copies and playing minesweeper in an internship

[Anonymous]

If they haven't had a paying job before, I'd definitely encourage that. Many kids need that reality check to stay committed to school and to choose wisely their career outcomes and many hiring managers want to see SOME paid work other than internships on the resume.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take a language course abroad over the summer and live with a local family.

Otherwise, tell him to get a job. Jeez some kids are so entitled! My mom would have laughed if I had proposed volunteering or doing an unpaid internship over the summer. She'd wonder how I was going to pay my bills.

Volunteer work makes one entitled?

[Anonymous]

Summer job + volunteer work

or

Summer job + an online class or two (if available)

[Anonymous]

A shout out to lifeguarding! Kid gets certified at 15 and never again has nothing to do in summers.