Summer internships are all about making connections and getting
valuable experience. Unfortunately, many college students are simply not
in a financial position to work all summer without a paycheck. In this
case, they will need to find an internship that is going to pay them.
Although they are more difficult to come by than unpaid opportunities,
they are out there and there are a few places that students can go to
find them.
Before a student even starts looking for an internship,
the most important thing they can do is make themselves as marketable
as possible. This means that they need to get excellent grades during
the school year and get involved with campus activities that are related
to their field. If they expect to be paid for their efforts over the
summer, they need to be able to prove to a company that they are worth
the money.
A great place to start looking for an internship is
with the career services office at whatever college or university the
student attends. They will have a great deal of information on a variety
of internship programs and they should know which ones are paid and
which are not. When speaking with the career counselor, the student
should be very clear about the fact that they are only interested in
applying for paid positions.
Another good place to check out for a
paid internship is a local job fair. This is a great way to get an idea
of what companies are out there in a particular field. If a student
sees a company that interests them, they should not be shy about asking
the representative present if they offer any paid internships. When
attending this type of event, it is a good idea for the student to have
copies of their resume on hand in case a company wants them to submit an
application on the spot.
Some students may be lucky enough to
have a summer job in their desired field. For example, a student
studying to be a teacher may have a job tutoring over the summer. If
this is the case, they should simply ask their academic advisor if they
could get credit for doing their job. They very well may say yes and
then the student will have to search no further for their paid
internship.
Paid Summer Internships are not always easy to come
by, but there a student who is focused and specific in their search
should be able to find one. It is a good idea to speak with a career
counselor or attend a job fair for ideas. Students should also remember
that, if they expect to be paid for their time, they should make
themselves excellent candidates by performing well in school.
