Why Should You Look for a Summer Internship?

As the temperature drops and finals approach, you may think it is too early to start thinking about an internship for the summer. You may also be thinking that you might not even need an internship for the summer. You have your summer camp position lined up. You are only a sophomore. You’re already a junior. You aren’t a business major. Maybe you haven’t even declared your major yet. You don’t know what kind of career you want.

All of these are, in fact, great reasons to secure a summer internship, and the time to start looking is now.  Summer internships are the perfect opportunity for you to explore potential careers, gain valuable job experience, build up your resume, and learn about yourself.  They are also critical in the eyes of future employers and graduate schools. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employer’s 2010 Student Survey, “New graduates who took part in an internship program are more likely to have received a job offer than their peers who decided to forgo the experience...Survey results show the median accepted salary offer for seniors with an internship was $45,301—nearly 31 percent higher than the $34,601 median accepted salary offer to non-intern seniors.”  In a tough economy where there are many more applicants than jobs, prior experience through internships is essentially a requirement for landing that first job out of college.

How do you start looking for a summer internship? First, visit the YU Career Development Center to have your resume reviewed and to discuss career paths that might be of interest to you. Also gain familiarity with YU CareerLink, the CDC’s job posting board where employers post jobs and internships.  Over 150 spring and summer internship opportunities are currently listed, with more added every day. You can also start looking at several outside resources posted on the CDC website. Most importantly, network! Talk to friends, relatives, shul members, faculty, previous employers, and anyone else you know. Become familiar with social networking sites such as LinkedIn. Networking is the number one way that students find opportunities. For techniques on how to network, visit the CDC.

Jocelyn Coulter is Director of Employer & Alumni Relations at the Yeshiva University Career Development Center.