Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 20:25     Subject: Anyone’s college kid not have a job this summer?
My rising sophomore lucked out thanks to the alumni network and the availability of stipends at his school to support unpaid internships. He's excited about his first lab internship, but thought he was going to have nothing until the very last cold e-mail.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 19:53     Subject: Anyone’s college kid not have a job this summer?
Anonymous wrote:My rising junior is taking classes because he couldn't get an internship.


A solid move.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 19:51     Subject: Anyone’s college kid not have a job this summer?
Anonymous wrote:
Rising senior: same paid job he's had every summer plus major-related research with famous prof. It's going to be a very busy summer!

He tried and tried to get an internship in his field and didn't get any... but this research is more specific to his topic, and with a big name in the field, so it's arguably better.

If he wants an actual job, it doesn’t matter at all. He should try actually working instead of falling into research over and over. Is he going for a PhD? Seen many of these students end up empty handed their senior year.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 19:34     Subject: Anyone’s college kid not have a job this summer?

Rising senior: same paid job he's had every summer plus major-related research with famous prof. It's going to be a very busy summer!

He tried and tried to get an internship in his field and didn't get any... but this research is more specific to his topic, and with a big name in the field, so it's arguably better.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 19:24     Subject: Re:Anyone’s college kid not have a job this summer?
Mine goes live on Tik Tok every day begging people for galaxies and meteor showers, whatever that means.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 19:10     Subject: Re:Anyone’s college kid not have a job this summer?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Rising junior with no internship. Sent about 100 apps, 5 interviews and nada. Even used some of my connections but did not yield fruit. Will return to retail job from last summer and take a class. Sucks.


Rising sophomore and sent more than 100 apps. 10 interviews, nothing.
Restaurant job right now, with one in-person interview next week.


My rising Ivy sophomore sent around 50. He had several companies reach out and say that they're only hiring rising junior interns this summer.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 18:14     Subject: Anyone’s college kid not have a job this summer?
DC is a rising sophomore. Luck out with one offer after applying 100+ jobs each prepared with tailored cover letter and resume. This week started paid biomedical summer research at a local medical school. A number of DC's good friends were not as lucky and still searching. DC's T20 school career center has been very supportive in helping undergrads get summer positions, even the low pay / no pay types. They just announced opening applications for $2,500 supplemental grants for students with these type of summer jobs/internships to help cover the cost of living.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 18:01     Subject: Anyone’s college kid not have a job this summer?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My college rising senior was very depressed that he did not receive any internship offers this year. He came home during spring break and played indoor pickleball in Annandale. He played with an older woman who is an executive at a government contracting company. She really enjoyed playing with and against him, and after hearing that he was still looking for work, she made a few calls.

He will be starting his new internship on June 1 as a cybersecurity analyst, earning $50 per hour. It will be a 12-week internship. She already told him that she would make sure he is offered a full-time position after graduation. The full-time job will pay around $150,000 per year.


Great! Esp since his experience and actual abilities are irrelevant to the offer. How the world works…


What makes you think he is not capable of handling the internship or the job? He is a CS major, and he also studies AI security on the side. He even convinced the executive woman to secure internship positions for one of his friends and one of his cousins. The world runs on networking.



That's fantastic!
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 17:56     Subject: Anyone’s college kid not have a job this summer?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My college rising senior was very depressed that he did not receive any internship offers this year. He came home during spring break and played indoor pickleball in Annandale. He played with an older woman who is an executive at a government contracting company. She really enjoyed playing with and against him, and after hearing that he was still looking for work, she made a few calls.

He will be starting his new internship on June 1 as a cybersecurity analyst, earning $50 per hour. It will be a 12-week internship. She already told him that she would make sure he is offered a full-time position after graduation. The full-time job will pay around $150,000 per year.


Great! Esp since his experience and actual abilities are irrelevant to the offer. How the world works…


What makes you think he is not capable of handling the internship or the job? He is a CS major, and he also studies AI security on the side. He even convinced the executive woman to secure internship positions for one of his friends and one of his cousins. The world runs on networking.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 17:52     Subject: Re:Anyone’s college kid not have a job this summer?
Anonymous wrote:Rising junior with no internship. Sent about 100 apps, 5 interviews and nada. Even used some of my connections but did not yield fruit. Will return to retail job from last summer and take a class. Sucks.


Rising sophomore and sent more than 100 apps. 10 interviews, nothing.
Restaurant job right now, with one in-person interview next week.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 17:50     Subject: Anyone’s college kid not have a job this summer?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My college rising senior was very depressed that he did not receive any internship offers this year. He came home during spring break and played indoor pickleball in Annandale. He played with an older woman who is an executive at a government contracting company. She really enjoyed playing with and against him, and after hearing that he was still looking for work, she made a few calls.

He will be starting his new internship on June 1 as a cybersecurity analyst, earning $50 per hour. It will be a 12-week internship. She already told him that she would make sure he is offered a full-time position after graduation. The full-time job will pay around $150,000 per year.


Is this for a defense contractor like Lockheed? Or is it for a consulting company like Booz or Deloitte that does work for one of those, or the government?


PP. Yes, for a defense contractor specialize in AI and security.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 11:42     Subject: Re:Anyone’s college kid not have a job this summer?
My two college age kids are staying at college and working the jobs they have from the school year and doing unpaid small internships there. I was bummed initially. But we are already paying rent, they earn more at their jobs there then they probably could here and since they have been doing these jobs all year they have greater flexibility so are making family beach week and coming home for several weeks later in the summer. HS kid is lifeguarding again.