Welp. My college junior dc with a good GPA does not have an internship and is very worried

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son, also a Junior, is sending out emails daily and still looking for a summer internship in computer engineering. It's tough out there, and I keep telling him it's a numbers game- just keep sending out resumes. Many of his friends have been lucky to land internships at big name companies through mass applications, I'm hoping he'll be able to do the same for next summer.

What about startup? Only big name companies are hiring?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question from a curious high school parent: DCUM often says college is valuable for networking because it helps with internships and jobs. Has that not been the case for your child, or has the school provided support in other ways? For example, through co-op programs, career services, or job counseling?

If you don’t mind sharing, what type of school does your DC attend (public or private)?

Two kids, two different ivies. Lots of advice available for those that seek it whether it be upperclassmen, professors, career services. They have easy access to resume feedback, as well as ideas for many different summer internships. Professors enjoy meeting with students and advising. The ones they have gotten to know have written recs. They each had great letters after freshman year and began investigating summer opportunities then. By the time junior year hit the resumes were robust due to getting great summer and in-semester experience. Most of their peers have had similar positive experiences at the schools.

This has been our experience at "non Ivies" too. The key phrase is "for those that seek it."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son, also a Junior, is sending out emails daily and still looking for a summer internship in computer engineering. It's tough out there, and I keep telling him it's a numbers game- just keep sending out resumes. Many of his friends have been lucky to land internships at big name companies through mass applications, I'm hoping he'll be able to do the same for next summer.

What about startup? Only big name companies are hiring?

+1 And often "big name compaies" can be a terrible first job experience. Don't look for company names, look for the specific training any company gives new employees. Avoid companies who expect you to have years of experience for an entry level job -- they don't want to train you. They are what we call "user" companies, and they will use you up and spit you out. Look for a company willing to invest in you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s fine. You don’t need an internship. Plenty of kids work part time jobs because they need an income. Many time employers value this more than some summer internship where someone had to practically babysit them and tell them what do for 6 weeks

False. Most kids’ first jobs after graduating they can link in some way to an internship.

Research data to support your claim of "most"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about startup? Only big name companies are hiring?

They're getting internships all over, but I know several of his friends have spots at Microsoft, Apple, NVIDIA, etc. Those obviously look great on a resume. My kid is honestly open to anything, he just wants to have an internship somewhere that will allow him to gain some experience and help shape his focus for his last year of college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son, also a Junior, is sending out emails daily and still looking for a summer internship in computer engineering. It's tough out there, and I keep telling him it's a numbers game- just keep sending out resumes. Many of his friends have been lucky to land internships at big name companies through mass applications, I'm hoping he'll be able to do the same for next summer.

+ 1. I told my son treat this like a class/job…dedicate a certain amount of time each day/week for emails, applications, researching companies.

[Anonymous]

For those applying or already landed internships, are they close to home , their college area, or another part of the country altogether?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about startup? Only big name companies are hiring?

They're getting internships all over, but I know several of his friends have spots at Microsoft, Apple, NVIDIA, etc. Those obviously look great on a resume. My kid is honestly open to anything, he just wants to have an internship somewhere that will allow him to gain some experience and help shape his focus for his last year of college.

I’d be cautious with big-name companies. Over time, they tend to outsource work. Their main goal is cutting costs and focusing on automation—which, in the long run, could eliminate a lot of jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son, also a Junior, is sending out emails daily and still looking for a summer internship in computer engineering. It's tough out there, and I keep telling him it's a numbers game- just keep sending out resumes. Many of his friends have been lucky to land internships at big name companies through mass applications, I'm hoping he'll be able to do the same for next summer.

+ 1. I told my son treat this like a class/job…dedicate a certain amount of time each day/week for emails, applications, researching companies.

yep. it's the same with a job search.

I'm not sure how many applications DC sent in, but I know it was a lot, and that they started applying end of summer 2025. They've had five offers to date.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son, also a Junior, is sending out emails daily and still looking for a summer internship in computer engineering. It's tough out there, and I keep telling him it's a numbers game- just keep sending out resumes. Many of his friends have been lucky to land internships at big name companies through mass applications, I'm hoping he'll be able to do the same for next summer.

+ 1. I told my son treat this like a class/job…dedicate a certain amount of time each day/week for emails, applications, researching companies.

+1 DS dropped a class in his junior Fall semester so he'd have more time for focus on job searching. It worked out and he got a good internship by winter break and it turned into a full time job on graduation (graduated in May '25). He said this year pretty much everyone who had a job at graduation was because of an internship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s fine. You don’t need an internship. Plenty of kids work part time jobs because they need an income. Many time employers value this more than some summer internship where someone had to practically babysit them and tell them what do for 6 weeks

False. Most kids’ first jobs after graduating they can link in some way to an internship.

Research data to support your claim of "most"?

Here you go, you lazy twat.

https://novoresume.com/career-blog/internship-statistics

[Anonymous]

Does the career services office help with this?

Do some majors have their own career advising resources to help?

I would think part of their job is to try to connect current students with alums? Is this true?

[Anonymous]

My 2 kids have both gotten summer internships through parents of their high school friends, not their colleges. They attended private high school here in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son, also a Junior, is sending out emails daily and still looking for a summer internship in computer engineering. It's tough out there, and I keep telling him it's a numbers game- just keep sending out resumes. Many of his friends have been lucky to land internships at big name companies through mass applications, I'm hoping he'll be able to do the same for next summer.

What about startup? Only big name companies are hiring?

+1 And often "big name compaies" can be a terrible first job experience. Don't look for company names, look for the specific training any company gives new employees. Avoid companies who expect you to have years of experience for an entry level job -- they don't want to train you. They are what we call "user" companies, and they will use you up and spit you out. Look for a company willing to invest in you.

My 2022 grad’s internship after junior year was at Goldman Sachs. He was so excited to get the offer.

What did he learn? That he absolutely, positively did not want to work at GS. He got the return offer for a FT job after graduation. Turned it down. Then he had to sweat out the worry that that decision was a mistake. Took a few months, but got a great offer in consulting within a niche area of interest to him. Has done very well.

Sometimes what you learn in an internship is what you don’t want to do.

And… all posters who say you have to hustle are dead right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question from a curious high school parent: DCUM often says college is valuable for networking because it helps with internships and jobs. Has that not been the case for your child, or has the school provided support in other ways? For example, through co-op programs, career services, or job counseling?

If you don’t mind sharing, what type of school does your DC attend (public or private)?

Two kids, two different ivies. Lots of advice available for those that seek it whether it be upperclassmen, professors, career services. They have easy access to resume feedback, as well as ideas for many different summer internships. Professors enjoy meeting with students and advising. The ones they have gotten to know have written recs. They each had great letters after freshman year and began investigating summer opportunities then. By the time junior year hit the resumes were robust due to getting great summer and in-semester experience. Most of their peers have had similar positive experiences at the schools.

This has been our experience at "non Ivies" too. The key phrase is "for those that seek it."

I graduated from a second tier state school and had internships with the Attorney General’s Office three summers straight, different departments. I had an interview and a resume and that’s all I think. I also worked at pub with some great people. The best summers ever.