About this time each spring semester conversations shift from the odd cold weather and spring break experiences to what we’re all doing over the summer.
Yes, the coveted summer internship consumes our thoughts as May quickly approaches.
For many of you first-year students, this will be the first summer that you go internship searching.
Of course, some of the deadlines have already passed for applications, but there is still hope and plenty of positions to be filled. If you haven’t already, you can begin your search in several ways.
First, think about your interests, and where you may want to work. I’m not just talking about your academic interests, but your passion. Maybe you’re a religious studies major but you want to work in human resources. Perhaps you could start looking at places that need diversity training and find a mentor in a corporate office. Maybe you are a business major but have a passion for art. There are thousands of museums and galleries across the nation that may need a financial intern to keep track of the books, or someone who has experience in a management course.
Just think how you can relate your passion to your studies and go from there.
Secondly, don’t limit yourself to one city. You’ve lived in Dallas for almost eight months now. If you want to stay, great! But if you’re looking for a change try a new city, one you haven’t thought to visit. I love New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles.
However, my last internship was in Nashville, Tenn. Honestly, I didn’t know how I would like it, but after a couple of weeks of acclimation it quickly became one of my favorite cities.
Thirdly, challenge yourself. Don’t just choose an internship for which you don’t have to apply or you think will be easy. No one expects you to be perfect. Your internship is meant to help you learn and experience life in the fast lane. You’ll put the theory you wrote about in class into practice and test it in real world situations. You’ll look at new business models and see how they function in an active market. You could even create a new marketing campaign that boosts a business’s brand and visibility.
This is your chance to create quality, functional work that your colleagues and superiors can use to progress their organizations!
Finally, keep an open mind. I wanted to intern for a large, multi-national corporation this summer.
However, family plans and other opportunities swayed my decision. I’m going back to the organization where I interned last year and am incredibly excited to return.
Just because you didn’t land your dream internship the first go-around doesn’t mean you should give up. Choose another company or organization, gain some experience, and try again next year.
In only seven weeks we’ll all be departing for the summer and traveling to all parts of the world. So good luck while you finalize details on your summer plans, and all the best as you continue to explore the outside world!
Graves is a junior majoring in communication studies and religious studies.
