There are plenty of good reasons for your student to seek a summer job or internship. From making a little extra cash, to adding to their resume, working this summer can be of great benefit to your student. However, to reap the benefits, they needs to sow the seeds now. Encourage your student to:
Start early
Encourage your student to research options right away. The most competitive positions will have application deadlines months before they start in May or June. It takes time to apply, including gathering recommendations and polishing a resume.
You can guide your student by asking what they need and want from a summer work experience. If their bank account is low, they may want to look for jobs that pay well even if they don’t fit their career path. If money’s not an issue, an unpaid internship or internship for course credit with a reputable business in their field may be worthwhile. Some schools offer stipends to students accepting unpaid internships — your student should investigate and apply. Needless to say, a paid internship or position within their chosen career field would be the best of both worlds!
Meet with career services
The campus career center is an incredible resource. Encourage your student to set up an appointment and be prepared to make the most of their time with the career advisor. Your student should bring their current resume, a sample cover letter, and the application requirements for any openings they've found already. They can ask the advisor:
• How can I improve my resume?
• Where can I look for more openings?
• What can I say in my cover letter to increase my chances of getting an interview?
Your student can return to career services as often as they need. If they gets an interview, the career center may offer mock interviews to help them prepare. If their first batch of applications doesn’t produce an offer, the advisors can help them with the next step.
Talk to professors or academic advisors
If your student has developed a rapport with any of their professors, encourage them to meet with them to ask their advice. Professors often have contacts with other organizations that have hired students from the university, or personal contacts in their industry. Remind them to be respectful, but not shy. Professors will be eager to help, especially if students demonstrates that they're putting in personal effort.
Be courageous enough to ask
What if your student’s dream company doesn’t have any openings? They shouldn’t give up yet. If they are willing to make the effort to contact Human Resources and propose an internship, it may pay off. Encourage your student to devise a mutually beneficial plan: they gets a chance to learn at their dream company, they get inexpensive (or free) help for the summer.
Along with searching for openings, your student should ask everyone they can think of for leads. Doe they know upperclassmen? Where have they interned, and would they be willing to put them in contact with someone from the company? Does the university have an alumni network? If so, they can contact alumni in their field, ask their advice, and see if they know of any opportunities or openings. Does their university hold job or internship fairs? They should attend, and ask recruiters all about their company. Personal contacts are a fantastic resource when looking for jobs.
Once your student has located job/internship possibilities, suggest that they make a chart listing all application requirements and deadlines. It may seem like a lot of work for a two or three month opportunity, but their effort now may pay off threefold: in salary, real world work experience, and professional connections and networking.
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