<p>My freshman son is planning on taking a couple of classes at a local small University to get some requirements out of the way so that he can take the classes he really wants at his school, and to get a part-time job. Since he’s an engineering student, he’d like to find something somewhat technical, like working for the Geek Squad, but not sure how many part-timers they take…he’s just started looking into it.</p>
<p>My D (college senior) did paid and unpaid internships througout college and during each summer. She’s in a very pre-professional major and is in a big city so that definitely helped in the search. She got some internships through school but once she had a couple under her belt, she was able to find others on her own by contacting companies directly and/or working her contacts from previous jobs. When she graduates, her resume will be solid and more importantly she will demonstrate that she’s already done the lower unpaid rungs of her career ladder. That will hopefully make her a better candidate for paying work upon graduation. Every time she did unpaid internships she worked alongside kids who had already graduated and were now working unpaid to get a leg up in the field. So if you can afford it and you can’t find paid summer work, doing those unpaid internships now will hopefully pay off once you’ve graduated. And of course if you’re in a major where you can find paid work, even in this economy, do it now so you’re in a good position upon graduation.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone, for your input.</p>
<p>Sounds like he wants to be home and not in Boston, at least for this first summer after college. After that, he’ll definitely figure out ways to stay in Boston.</p>
<p>He plans to apply for paid positions first (oy, wish us luck) and then if not, he’ll do what he did before and take an unpaid professional “internship” and then a part-time paid job somewhere else.</p>
<p>Yeah, I agree with Mutti about doing as many unpaid internships as possible, especially while still at home in the summer. As he gets older, and with more experience, he’ll hopefully be more attractive for paid positions.</p>
<p>He’s been doing research and will try to line up some possibilities before he heads back…nervewracking! I never heard of unpaid internships so much until the last 5 years or so! This is what a weak economy does?! Amazing how many companies can now get away with not paying someone for their time and efforts! Stinks, imo.</p>
<p>chocchip, D1 is looking for some kind of work at home, as well. Same deal as with your S: looking for anything, be it part-time or full-time paid work, unpaid internship, what have you. Being a freshman and home being on the other side of the country don’t make it easy!</p>
<p>One strategy that worked for D2 was looking at career services jobs postings at universities in our home area (she attends school elsewhere). These often have part time jobs listed both at the school and in the community.</p>
<p>stradmom, that’s a good tip, but I’m almost positive that the jobs rosters at the universities near us are only available for students at those universities. I’ll still check it out.</p>
<p>stradmom’s tip is exactly how my DH found one of his first “real” jobs after grad school.
He went to a school OOS, but had a friend who graduated locally. He asked her for her password to get into the job listings at her grad school. He helped her with her resume and I don’t what else, and she was all too happy to offer her password to the job listings. Oh, and DH kept that job for for at least 10 years!</p>
<p>My son is going to work the same 2 PT jobs that he had last summer. He worked one of them over his winter break. He has already been offered spots for both, if he wants them. In this economy, I told him to KEEP them because he needs spening money.</p>
<p>At his school he is required to work an unpaid internship for credit before graduating, so the unpaid internship is going to happen one way or another. In fact he is taking a 2 credit course that begins this “project” this semester.</p>
<p>My middle son (now in grad school) has worked as staff at BBYO camps for the last several summers…the pay is decent-but-not-great, but as the camp is very remote, he saved all he earned because there was no place to spend even a nickel! He had an unpaid internship last semester, which was his first in grad school. He has lined up a paid internship for this semester and can continue through the summer if he chooses to keep the internship.</p>
<p>Youngest son worked at JCC day camps for three summers, making decent money. Last summer he had a fabulous but unpaid internship with a nonprofit in DC, which is where he goes to school. He has what he hopes will be a dream-although-unpaid internship doing marketing for an MLS team this spring, and hopes to to turn it into a paid internship for the summer, or to continue the internship while finding another way to make some $$.</p>
<p>S has been a lifeguard at local pool club. This summer he will be a supervisor there. Good money and hours and is in the next neighborhood.</p>
<p>Glad the conversation has taken this detour. S has started to talk about summer plans. I think he’d like to do an internship, but the likelihood of getting paid is slim to none. There are so many graduates these days taking unpaid internships, just to get a foot in the door…
I told him to check with his Career Center as well.
Can I share? S had really great grades this past semester. I am a proud mama.</p>
<p>college4three- good new on the grades!</p>
<p>Lots of interesting ideas on jobs and internships. One realization I have is that the pressure trickles down earlier and earlier. It seems like so much of hs was focused on college admissions - and now like so much of college - including summers - is focused on resume building to enhance job prospects after graduation. Much food for thought.</p>
<p>^^ I agree. My son is doing a lot of projects (both ECs and projects required for class) while he is at college that are also resume builders.</p>
<p>College4three, that’s great!</p>
<p>thank you!
the pressure is definitely trickling down much sooner than when we were young. I wish it were different, but jobs are sooo hard to come by for graduates, that making connections early on seems to be the only way to build a foundation for later.</p>
<p>For S1 reality is hitting very suddenly. He was just a soph and then on study abroad and now suddenly he needs to think about registering and studying for the LSAT what he can do after graduation if he postpones law school. </p>
<p>As for the internships my S had, his school may be unique but students can propose and arrange for an internship generally with a non profit or government department and they may get a grant from the school to pursue this based on their application. S’s two internships were an easy commute from home. I believe he applied to these through the college and career center. Chocchip, maybe Tufts has a similar program. </p>
<p>My S is at the point now of trying to figure out if he can do this again. Each internship has to be different. His goal is to be a prosecutor and last summer he worked in the DA’s office although the work was pretty rudimentary. He is trying to figure out possibilities for his next step so if any of you have any thoughts about that we’d love to hear them.</p>
<p>Stradmom, was the way your D2 got a hold of those listings as NEmom suggested by getting another student’s password or is there another way that you know of to get to see these listings if you are not a student at a local school.</p>
<p>She just went online, no password, no special computer skills. There happen to be several schools nearby and all except the large, prestigious one had open access to their career info. Even that one included “regular” jobs and “opportunities for our students only” categories. (Of course, the exclusive ones were largely the ones she would have preferred…) I believe she went to the main website and clicked on “Current Students” and just followed the links through to the career section. Some sites also had HR postings for working at the university under an “employment” tab.</p>
<p>Just want to wish everyone who reads, posts and lurks on our thread a very happy and healthy New Year - filled with amazing grades, awesome test scores and fabulous college admissions!</p>
<p>Ditto with RVM, and may our kids be safe tonight…</p>
<p>A happy and a healthy New Year to all of you! Yes, keep everyone safe!</p>
<p>To everyone, a healthy and happy new year. May everyone reach out and grasp life and enjoy!</p>
<p>We’re heading out to a friend’s house @8pm…Best wishes for a happy, healthy New year, everyone.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the advice & suggestions re: paid jobs and unpaid ‘internships’. S1 has begun to put out feelers with all of my H & my professional contacts and may get something paid this summer that will also be sort of like an internship…hope it works out!</p>