AdamantineX

Is it going to be harder for the CCC transfers to get internships once they transfer to their 4-year institution?

wannabeabear

Just the opposite. I'm fairly certain that CCC students have a tougher job getting competitive internships because they lack a necessary prestige component in their application. For example, when a Congressman is looking for interns they will likely prefer the 4.0 student from Berkeley over the 4.0 student from a CCC. The same thing should apply to any business, firm, or organization.

I do suspect that having an internship during the school year will become harder because of the more challenging course load.

So yeah, my inclination is that it will become harder because we will be able to add a higher level of prestige to our application/resume.

Trippss

I've actually had the opposite experience. I've done internships at the White House, the UN, CIA, Mircrosoft, and Google while I was still at a CCC. I think it just depends on your applications, essays, etc. They rather have someone who is articulate and responsible rather than basing their decisions on school prestige.

Malishka31

I had no problem getting a paid internship right when i transfered to UCLA from CC.

I got offered 3 jobs and 1 paid internship- i took the internship b/c the pay was highest.

wannabeabear

I don't believe that being from a CCC helps anyone in getting an internship. I agree that it is very possible to get a good internship, just as Trippss has clearly done.

My point is this though: When an employer is confronted with two people whom are equal in every regard other than their schooling--one goes to UCLA and the other goes to a CCC--it is very likely they will choose the one who goes to UCLA.

Moreover, people who go to these "prestigious" schools have so much more access to better internships and employers. Schools like Stanford, Berk, and UCLA get flooded with representatives from the best places to work. Google is not going to spend their time recruiting interns from De Anza College, they are going to Stanf/Berk. Yes, a CCC student who is smart can get this--but they have to compete with not only the prestige factor, but also the "connection" aspect. First, a lot of university professors have great connections for solid internships. Second, at these recruiting seminars you get a brief moment to establish a quick connection/personal contact with one of these employers to make your success more likely.

All in all, my point is simply that acquiring an internship/job is only easier after transferring.

Malishka31

Consider though that many CC students have job experience that outweighs the prestige factor. Employers prefer experience over school prestige. Your grades at PrestigeU will mean jack if the CC student has already had a similar internship or job.

dragondawg

wow trippss how did you get all those cool internships?

Eirenarch

Friends of mine who started at universities as freshman were able to get jobs related to research in their major (as freshman and sophmores), while I was at a CCC with no opporunities related to my major of any kind. When I transfer I am scared that I will be too far behind, all the juniors will have been there since freshman year and will already have lots of experience while I will have none. It's going to be bad enough that I'm going to be behind in classes since my college doesn't offer enough (I'll be going into my 4th year of college next year, and I'm still going to have a bunch of lower division classes to take).

dragondawg

i'm kind of as in the same boat as you, this is my 3rd year at a cc so even though i'll be at junior standing when i transfer, it will be my fourth year too

Trippss

Hey Dragondawg, I basically just went on the companies' websites and looked for internship information. I made sure I sent in all the required info (essays, recommendations, etc.) and when it came time to interview, I tried to stand out from the rest. You guys would be surprised to know that there were many people from CC's in the internship programs I did.

Even though my grades weren't spectacular and I only went to a CC, the companies seemed like they were looking for something different than the type of school or academic achievement. Don't get me wrong, having good grades is always a plus, but there's way more to it than that.

Sure, I've probably been rejected because some guys saw my application and dismissed me because of my school. But I'm really happy with the intern programs I've been able to get.

dragondawg

well i don't think i have a good network so its kind of hard sometimes to get recommendations and stuff. Also, i somehow thought that cc student couldn't get internships, since i mostly know people who go to prestige schools like USC and some UCs that get like the internships and jobs at Paramount, Universal Studios and etc, i often wonder how they get those internship unless they know people. So when i like for intern programs on big companies site i somehow think i don't qualify since they want a resume and stuff. I'm guessing you got to work in different cities when you intern for White House, the UN, CIA, Mircrosoft, and Google. I would love to get an internship somewhere cool this summer before i transfer but i highly doubt it. So what kind of things do you do in an intership?

Trippss

Dragondawg, it's probably a good idea to get a resume. That's probably the most important thing. Also, you can use your past professors as academic references.

Yes, as a result of my internships, I have worked in many places (Washington DC, New York, San Francisco area, Washington state). But the first step is to actually apply. Even though you may not think you'll get it, it won't hurt to try.

In the political internships, I was a speechwriting intern so I really got a good lesson in political rhetoric and communication. I was so afraid I'd be doing mundane tasks such as photocopying, getting coffee, shredding, etc. But I have been fortunate that my internships have been substantive and rewarding. As for the technical internships, I worked in project development and software engineering. They usually gave me a big assignment that was to be completed at the end of my internship, but they also gave me little projects throughout.

I highly recommend finding an internship during the summer. You'll have more time to enjoy the work and you'll end up with some references outside of academia. I've applied to some positions for this Summer so I'm hoping I'll get one.

In my opinion, I honestly don't believe school prestige is that big of a contributing factor. I'm sure it plays a role, but it's not the overriding factor. I've had friends in Ivy League schools apply for the same positions as me and they had no luck.