Dear Advisor: What do I do!? I don’t have a summer internship lined up!!

I have met with many students in the past few weeks who begin our session with a familiar refrain for this time of year:  “I don’t have an internship!” or “All my friends have internships for summer!” or “It’s SO late, I’ll never find an internship now!”

One of the things that always comes up as we work to dismantle the panic-stricken feeling and replace it with actionable steps is that, frankly, the month of April is still in many fields and parts of the world considered early for summer internships.   Now, I don’t want to give any false hope or reassurance – it is always best to start early so you don’t miss applying for opportunities of interest – but there are, even today, internships open for college students of all years and in a variety of fields.

While these may all not be in your interest area, a search for keyword “Summer Intern” on Indeed.com brings up almost 1,000 hits of opportunities posted within the last 15 days.   But don’t limit yourself to “intern” as your keyword – get creative.  Dig into the Advanced Search page and throw in some keywords that interest you – “Analytical” or “strong communication skills” or “within 5 miles of (fill in your zip code here)”  Also recognize that some employers eschew the word Intern for other job titles, but can offer an experience you may truly value.  I hope this may lead you to an opportunity you’ll want to pursue if you’re seeking at this stage – and to help ensure your resume communicates the best you have to offer, visit a Career Services advisor – we are here and happy to help you!

Author: Jamie Grant

Jamie Grant is Associate Director of Career Services for the School of Engineering and Applied Science.