<p>My daughter's college doesn't get internships for freshman (she'll be a sophmore next year). I thought she should get a job at Macy's or Starbucks or something but someone in my family said, "That's not good enough". Her college also doesn't offer any courses in anything that she needs over the summer. What are other kids doing?</p>
<p>Of course I asked her to ask her friends at college and she said their parents are getting them internships. We probably aren't going to be able to do this.</p>
<p>Hopefully, my son will find a job as a "rough neck" this summer, because the pay is very good. He is majoring in engineering. He may even go to an Ivy. Some people may look down on his summer job, but I think working builds character.</p>
<p>I also, think having hands on experience will serve him well in the long run.</p>
<p>AMom2, good idea. Last summer my son worked for our construction company. He worked on an out of town project. It was a great experience for him. Hands on, working under a foreman, working in an environment different than he was used to.
I wish all our engineers had done that, it really gives them insight into what the "field" guys go through.</p>
<p>Why does she need her parents or a school to get her an internship...? That is not the right attitude to have.</p>
<p>I worked as the development intern for an influential non-profit. I had worked as development associate for another non-profit the previous summer, in between high school and college. There are tons of internships and other good jobs out there; you just have to do a little work, find them, and apply. </p>
<p>What are her career plans? Anyway, if she doesn't do anything particularly noteworthy summer after freshman year, it won't matter much in the long run in terms of future jobs/internships. Having good, relevant experience (in the form of work or a leadership position in a relevant college group) for whatever she may want to do the following summer is very valuable, though.</p>
<p>I've told my daughter she's working this summer -- as a waitress, office worker, retail sales clerk, whatever makes money. She still has 2 summers left to do internships.</p>
<p>If she came to me with a great internship she wanted to do (and found on her own), then that would be OK, too.</p>
<p>My son (currently a college freshman) contacted an officer in a locally-headquartered software development firm and interviewed for a summer internship while he was home over winter break. He knows this man because he was a leader of my son's Boy Scout troop. H and I did not help him set up the interview or contact the man ourselves, but we did mention that this man was now working for the local firm, and left it up to our son whether or not to pursue a job there. He hasn't heard anything yet, but is supposed to soon. If that does not pan out, he will need to get busy over spring break if he wishes to find something relevant to his field (computer science) here in town; there aren't a lot of local options. </p>
<p>If he doesn't find a cs-related job/internship, he will have to settle for something else. He (and we) want it to be for pay, not just "experience".</p>
<p>
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I thought she should get a job at Macy's or Starbucks or something but someone in my family said, "That's not good enough".
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Is that "someone" willing to give her the money she'd earn or help with the tuition? What makes a paying job and contributing to her education "not good enough"?</p>
<p>I told my d that if it's not a career-based internship, she's taking the highest paying job she can find, even it means asking, "Paper or plastic?"</p>
<p>My D, currently a freshman considering in majoring in Visual Art, got a job as an art teaching assistant at her HS, which will have a Summer Arts program for young children. She recently decided that she wants to teach art in a university, so this is a great experience for her. As far as the money goes, it may not be the highest paying job, but it will make up for that in interest and experience.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Of course I asked her to ask her friends at college and she said their parents are getting them internships. We probably aren't going to be able to do this.
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</p>
<p>Our 2 older kids have always gotten jobs and internships on their own, and so have every single one of their friends. There are many levels of internships out there, and also just good old jobs. Any college student can score some job. It may not be relevant to their major, but as a freshman, thats quite okay.</p>
<p>Sly, most internships are paid. Certain fields (journalism and a couple others) are known for unpaid internships, but even these can often come with a stipend, either through the organization or the student's college. Both of my non-profits paid far above minimum wage and far above what friends were making bagging groceries and hanging up clothes at Old Navy.</p>
<p>My son is taking 6 hours at the local CC and interning at an oil & gas company in their accounting department (no pay). He is taking classes that he doesn't want to take at UT (they are GPA busters), and the internship is in the field that he is studying at school. Win Win.:)</p>
<p>amazon: It would be helpful if you could tell a little about your D's major/interests and your general location. </p>
<p>DD learned to waitress last summer-- a skill that will always be useful! Her first summer was in an office (career related) but she wanted more flexibility and fun in the resort for last summer. (And she made more money)</p>
<p>My engineering-major DS is looking for internships on his own (not for credit). He already found one opening locally and it turns out his uncle works for the company. Although my DS applied completely on his own, his uncle followed up with a word to the HR dept. for him. He still may not get it, since he has had only one engineering class so far, but he really wanted to do this instead of another summer working at a grocery store, because a) the internship pays more, and b) he can't wait to have a more interesting job that making subs!</p>
<p>If it doesn't pan out, he will continue working at the grocery store for the summer.</p>
<p>Amazon- those relatives should ask their physicians what jobs they held in college- I and many others started on the scrape line and worked our way up to cashier for the dorm food service... One PhD friend said working the summer in the plastics factory was definitely motivation to continue school. There is no job beneath any student. All the potential /intelligence does not equal job skills- I know I certainly did not waste my HS class time taking courses that would yield marketable skills straight out of HS. The experience of working side by side with people, or of having a boss who is permanently in the lower echelons of jobs is in itself a learning experience- seeing how the other half lives.</p>
<p>My D will be attending a 6 week program for students interested in medical and dental professions. She chose the site at UDub because it has a good program for immigrant and underserved communities. She'll get some clinical experience to help her determine if medicine is the right route for her.</p>
<p>Our daughter will either be taking a 4 credit cousre at the local comm college and working 20 hours a week or working 40 hours a week. She is not sure she wants to waitress again, but the money was much better than working retail.</p>
<p>amazon, get your relative who said Starbucks isn't "good enough" a copy of "How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else". The author is an older man, ivy grad, went to work in advertising for decades, who ended up "only" being able to find work at a Starbucks. The experience was eye-opening for him. </p>
<p>My dream summer job for a college student: working at one of the grand lodges at Glacier National Park. Fellow employees from around the world. Astounding scenery, world-class hiking. Nowhere to spend your earnings!</p>
<p>My freshman S, a CS major, has worked in the CS field the last 3 summers. I am actually encouraging him to look for something completely different this summer, and get off the computer! The two summers after this can be used for career related jobs.</p>
<p>Just got off the phone with my freshman daughter who has an appt. with career services today to review her resume she put together this week. Later in February, the school has an online "job fair" type thing where students and employeers can look for opportunities. </p>
<p>She has spring break the last week of February and is hoping to do some looking then for summer opportunities too. Her major is Communications/Public Relations. Luckily, she was offered an internship this spring at school (may carry over into the summer a bit, but can be done from home) to help promote a new K-12 school opening in her college town - so awesome as a freshman that she got chosen to do this internship with a couple of seniors! </p>
<p>So, while I hope she can find a $$job$$ for the summer, I am pleased that she will have this internship under her belt if her summer job is not PR related.</p>