By: David Ross
Early in the school year, I meet with eager students asking questions about when to start their summer internship search and how long the search can take. What are the timelines? How soon should I start? How long does the process take? Inquiring minds want to know all the details and intricacies to prepare themselves and avoid missing opportunities.
The reality of any summer internship search is that the process varies for each individual. Regardless of when you begin your search, you should focus your efforts on identifying and applying for opportunities of interest. Try to avoid dwelling on the length of time of your search or create expectations for yourself that become burdensome. The uncertainty of the process can indeed be nerve-wracking, but rest assured that many other students experience the same thing at some point during their search.
While early planning is both helpful and productive, don’t assume that the majority of summer internships will be filled well in advance of the desired start date. Some positions are listed online and made available to applicants early in the school year, but many other great opportunities do not become available until the Spring semester or even a month or two before the intern would be expected to start working. So if you are searching for opportunities and inquiring about their availability, don’t be alarmed if you don’t see an abundance of summer internship listings for your desired field or industry at this point.
Remember, the summer internship search process will not always have a defined length of time (much to our chagrin). But if you are focused and dedicate time and effort to your internship search activities, you place yourself in a position find a great summer internship.
