Impact of Coronavirus on summer internships and jobs for new graduates

Parents Forum
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Our rising junior son was offered an internship and research opportunity at his school. The internship: he found out the day before he was going to decline it that it wasn’t running. We had a feeling that would be the case based on where it was located, in a hotspot, so we advised him against that one. They did, however, offer him a spot for next summer, so he’s extremely lucky in that regard. He already took them up on the offer.

The research opportunity got canceled while we were moving him out of his dorm room this week…like adding insult to injury. He was really hoping for that.

The final back up is his old lifeguarding/coaching summer job, which he wants to move on from, but I’m so glad I pressed him to keep his certification current. His boss had been less than great about keeping him in the loop, so he was getting frustrated. We’re in the last state to hit phase 1, so many pools are struggling to open.

So, on Wednesday he found another club in the area that is opening, dying for help, and he got in touch with them immediately. He’s going to orientation in 2 weeks.

Found out today that his old job…the club is closing for the summer. Glad he jumped on the other opportunity. If the new position works out, I’m sure he won’t be making what he’s made in years past, but that’s ok…at least it’s something.

In the meantime, he’s mulling around an online class, he’s earning his keep doing yard work, powerwashing our fence, helping my husband build a shed.

If all else fails, my husband’s company is essential and he can get probably get him a job there. He’d hate every minute of that, but it would certainly build character :wink:

At the very least, he’s learning how to hustle. Good times, indeed!

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That’s encouraging. S is a rising junior majoring in quantitative analysis. We’ve always felt he’ll have no trouble landing a good job upon graduation; just hope it is still the same in 2 years.

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@Waiting2exhale I think you can be in data analytics and not in the public sector and still feel good about your work. There are opportunities with medical companies, start ups that are helping the environment, etc. Today every company is using analytics to make their business decisions. My daughter majored in econ/math and is in analytics, she worked in ecommerce for 4 years and is now working for a medical research firm.

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This thread represents a small sample size but I am glad that it paints a more optimistic picture than this atlantic article from yesterday does

https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2020/05/class-of-2020-graduate-jobs/611917/

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@kiddie: "@Waiting2exhale I think you can be in data analytics and not in the public sector and still feel good about your work. "

Oh, I know, thanks, kiddie. Her father and I were passing things along to her which we found to be a great fit for her in the private sector, with an eye toward where she might want to be (we thought) after she gets her Master’s degree, only to find that she is moving in a completely different direction.

Both of her summer internships which have made use of her data analysis skills (as well as GIS competencies) have been in and/or able to be seen as extensions of work in the public sector. We thought she had simply found that those were the particular internships which opened themselves up to her, and not that she was focusing in that direction.

She is just getting a peek at what is opening for her as a candidate for full-time employment right now. However, I do think she has unchecked the box for most of the type of work discussed here in the thread. She is a hard nut to crack, this one.

She did interview with a small private company that worked for the public good (my wording), for a position for which she did not fully meet the qualifications. She was told that of the hundreds who applied she was granted the interview because she is an alum of the same university of one of the co-owners. She actually had quite a rapport with members of the interview panel, and learned a few things about herself, the process, and timing. A positive overall.

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@Waiting2exhale - D2 is also interested in public sector. All of her law internships to date has been in the public sector. This summer will be the first time in the private sector. She has it worked out that she will need to be in the private sector for 3 years (to pay off her loans) before moving on to the public sector.
I am always inspired by the young adults who have certain social values and are willing to live a certain life style to support it.

I think a lot more people will be working from her even after the pandemic is over, people will have more options as to where they can do their work. At this time, my department has no plan of going back to the office any time soon. D2 is in banking and they also have no plan in going back to the office this year, maybe even in the future.

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D’s friend was just hired for a summer internship by a company that had initially suspended their program. They circled back because they were able to resume operations and now feel comfortable having interns.

Maybe worth students re-connecting with their previously arranged internships if they haven’t found anything else. Most of the summer is still ahead of us.

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Correction - D1 is in banking, not D2. :slight_smile:

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My S09 just graduated from an M7 b-school. Many graduates have had their start-dates delayed by several months but it was industry-dependent. My son’s new employer cancelled all of their internships (because of security they cannot work remotely). However, they told them all they would still be offered a job at the end of the summer (to begin after they finish the two year program). Because no interns will be there, the first year associates were all assured they are expected to start when originally planned. His employer was very proactive with the new grads as to their plans for the new hires.

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So now we have a turn for the worse – not insurmountable I hope but… My D21 her school requires 150 internship hours to graduate. She is a senior in the fall. The original program at the big 4 Firm was more than enough - it was like 240 hours. But now it is cut down to 80 virtual hours (not making the 150). She asked the school if due to the COVID challenges if they were going to be flexible. I mean she already has JOB OFFER for next year but NOPE – they said find a way to make up the hours.

Sigh…

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^Which college is being that crappy?

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Sounds like she attends a fairly unfeeling school…

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@toomanyteens - That’s unfortunate that they are being so inflexible. Is there any way she can talk to her company and see if they can add more hours to her virtual project? 150 hours isn’t even a month of full time work.

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First off I would be all over that college in a big way. She would of had the hours. Then I would talk to the job that offered her the job and ask if she can write a report or similar to help the company in some way (forgot what she is going into) and if they would just log this for hours that she needs. Unpaid of course but something she can knock out easily. Maybe on improving the processes or something that could be useful for them also. Just type slow…LOL and you know “research” could take a long time. Create a log and make sure it meets her goals and then some.

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@oldfort re your post 205, good for your daughter! I will say I had similar plans coming out of law school, working “for the man” initially so that I could use what I gained to right the wrongs. Sad to say, I got turned by the “Darkside” after a few years, lol.

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She has a small network of ladies there who helped her get the internship and she is going to contact them to see. It doesn’t even matter if it is paid, she just needs the hours and I agree it is ridiculous the college isn’t being more accommodating given the situation.

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She is cyber security – and I agree on the college being so inflexible. She did have the hours and it was pulled right out from her and she CANNOT be the only one.

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That’s too bad @toomanyteens My D is also graduating next year. Her school requires 4 or 5 or 6 co-op terms to graduate, depending on the major. They’ve decreased the number of required co-op terms required by one for all current students.

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I am going to have her talk with her professors in cyber security too.

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Can she arrange for the first month of the job to be an “internship” to satisfy the college’s internship hour requirements to graduate, and then start working as a regular employee after that?