Would it be beneficial to have a summer internship in the field we are considering?

Hi Morgan,

The temperature may be dipping to the 30s, but if you’re like me, there’s only one thing on your mind — summer internships.

Internships are such an important thing to take advantage of when you’re in college — most students don’t realize that the majority of companies don’t take interns that are no longer enrolled in classes. Once February rolls around, it’s time to start sending out as many resumes as the ink in your printer will print.

Now you’re probably thinking that applying for summer internships isn’t any different from applying for fall or spring positions, but think again. There are a lot of factors that set these two apart and completely change the internship game for eager applicants. Get to know what makes scoring a summer internship position different from any other semester.

Competitiveness

Most students spend fall and spring semester focusing on their classes. If they chose to do an internship, it’s not very likely that they will go far from their university. During the summer however, you could have students coming from all over the place which makes it extremely competitive to secure a position. The competition is unreal in the summer because everyone is taking fewer classes, if any class at all, and focusing 100% on gaining hands on experience in their field.

When dealing with competitive interns, you need to focus on ways to stand out. One of the best ways to stand out to employers is to send follow-up emails after sending resumes. Be sure to make a great first impression whether it’s a phone interview or face-to-face. You want an employer to see someone who is passionate about the industry and anxious to become a part of their company.

Out-of-state

As I stated earlier, summer is the most popular semester for students to search for internships that are out-of-state. Students have more opportunity to take the summer off from classes and spend up to three months in an unfamiliar city, working with their dream company.

Going out-of-state for an internship sounds very intimidating to some students. You have to keep in mind the amazing opportunities you can receive from stepping outside of your comfort zone. The best part about out-of-state internships is some cities have universities that make their dorms available to interns in the summer so they don’t have to worry about housing. This also gives you plenty of peers to interact with, so if you’re taking on the city alone, have no fear!

Course work

This plays a huge role in the difference between fall/spring internships and summer. Most companies require school credit for their internship positions which requires students to be enrolled in a class linked to their internship. In the summer however, it is common that students are only taking that credit hours for their internship and nothing else. The only course work they have to worry about is the few assignments they may have to complete regarding their position. They don’t need to take any other courses and can focus all their time and energy into their internship.

The best thing about having less coursework during the summer is you have more time to dedicate to your position. This will show your employer that you are a devoted intern and want to leave their company feeling successful and full of knowledge. You don’t have to worry about consistent tests and quizzes stressing you out, and can engage more into your position.

Internships are extremely important for your future success and you should try to apply to as many as you can. The more time you spend doing hands on work in the field you love, the more you’ll learn before you even get out of college. Take advantage of free learning that might even lead you to your future job. And realize the difference between being an applicant for fall, spring, and summer internships — the semester can make a difference in how much you as a student and intern can put into your position.

Happy applying!

See more in: http://college.usatoday.com/2014/02/05/why-summer-is-the-best-time-to-get-an-internship/

I would highly recommend having at least one internship in your field of consideration prior to graduation and applying for a full-time job. The experience may open up your eyes to disciplines not already considered, reinforce your commitment to stick with your declared field, or inform you that this may not be the exact area where you will want to spend the next 20 or so years of your career. My sophomore year internship shed light on two areas in that 1) I was sure that I wanted to stay tied to my area of concentration within Computer Science, but 2) I didn't want to be stuck as a head's down programmer. Also, the internship will be able to differentiate you with actual applied experience within your field, if you continue down that route.