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photo: GETTY IMAGES (INTERN)
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Summer Vocations
By Abby McCartney
It never fails. Come January or February, just about the time you start thinking that you’ve got this college thing all figured out, people will start asking you the next impossible question: What are you going to do next summer? Leaving you with a question of your own: Will the decisions never stop? Luckily, summer decisions aren’t too high-stakes. The months between school years are a perfect time to try out something new, maybe something you’ve always wondered about, without a lengthy commitment. If you don’t like it, well, at least you know that before you sign up for it full time. Still, there are a lot of factors to consider. Job or internship? Paid or unpaid? Living at home or somewhere new? There’s nothing wrong with lifeguarding or waiting tables for a summer or two. But summers are also a good opportunity to try out future careers and get experience that will be valuable when it’s time to apply for professional jobs later on. The best way to do that is usually by being an intern. HORROR STORIES Interning is a little like being an apprentice: You work for free (or a small stipend) for a couple of months, learn about the jobs you think you might want to have someday, help out around the office and acquire some new skills. For me, it has been an invaluable way to find out which tasks I enjoy doing and what kind of office environment makes me feel comfortable. After one excruciatingly boring summer in a lethargic office where my boss rarely showed up before 11 a.m., for example, I realized that I’m cut out for a faster pace. Internships vary widely in how much action and responsibility they offer. Some interns end up with horror stories about days spent filing or , entering data or fidgeting in the mailroom. Sometimes, interns gets to write reports, help make decisions and see the inner workings of the office firsthand. Other times, the summer feels like an extended Solitaire tournament, interspersed with brief battles against mind-numbing spreadsheets. How do you find an internship that will be educational, rewarding and fun? There’s no magic bullet. But the process always begins with approaching businesses or organizations that you admire and would be excited to work for. Even if they don’t have a formal internship program, they’ll often take you on if you really seem interested in their work. Make sure to ask what specifically you’ll be doing every day before accepting the job. It’s amazing how many interns show up in June to find that they have literally nothing to do. If possible, also talk to a former intern at the organization to find out whether it treats its interns well. Don’t be afraid to go for experience over glamour. Working at your local city council isn’t nearly as flashy as working at the White House, but the work will likely be a lot more interesting. Small, understaffed organizations rely heavily on interns; the experience you gain in those jobs goes a long way in proving your value to employers later on. To give just one example, last summer I worked for a brand-new school. I was the fourth employee, after the co-founders and their director of operations. They put me in charge of developing a plan for recruiting students, enrolling them and advertising to the community. I didn’t have any experience with that kind of work, but it didn’t matter: There was no one else to do it. I figured it out as I went, which ended up being the best learning experience I could have had. FINANCIAL CHALLENGE Unpaid internships, of course, are a financial challenge. The easiest way to handle them is to live at home, with rent and food included in the deal. On the other hand, summers offer a unique opportunity to try living in a new place. When you graduate from college, you’ll have to make difficult decisions about where you want to live. Those choices are much easier if you’ve already spent some time in a new city. Living on your own, dealing with a landlord and cooking for yourself are great experiences that you’re unlikely to get in your hometown. So what to do if you want to spend the summer away from home, but your internship won’t pay the bills? Many schools offer fellowships or financial-aid awards for summer study or internships, especially those in public service. In college, ask your financial-aid or career office if they have any ideas. Also find out if you have any family friends or relatives in the place where you want to be. Finally, in some costly cities like New York, many internships are part-time, allowing you to work a traditional summer job the rest of the week, which can make the summer much more affordable. (See related article on Page 17.) The important thing is not to be daunted by the financial challenges. Being an intern isn’t lucrative, and it usually isn’t glamorous, but it is an investment that pays off in the long run. At its best, an internship can even be exciting and fun—and maybe even one of the best decisions you’ve ever had to make.
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