Finding an internship or part-time job

Q:  My son has been on the hunt for a summer job.  He has been unsuccessful in finding a summer internship or part-time role for the summer, or even the fall.   What are college students doing, who are successfully finding a role which is supportive of their career path(s)?  His connections are light in this field.  His parents are both in social services, and he wants to get into finance or banking. 

A:  Most student are able to find internships through one of a few ways.  The first step is the career services office of their college.  Many career services office post jobs, including internships and part-time or full-time roles, for student and alumni. 

Family members, along with friends, are also a source of leads.  Uncles, cousins, neighbors, and even the person at your local supermarket.  Anyone can refer you to a new opportunity.

LinkedIn is one of the best sources to learn about new roles.  Your son should spend time building his LinkedIn profile and adding connections.  I try to share opportunities, almost every day, on LinkedIn.

Handshake, is a recruiting platform, with a specialization in colleges and universities.  Internships, part-time roles, grads, recent grads and alums are the target population for Handshake. 

Nolan Perry, a rising senior studying finance at the University of Connecticut, shares that students should be prepared for rejection.  After submitting resumes to about 50 roles, Perry interviewed for about five different roles, with the goal of securing a summer job.  While it is easy to get discouraged, Perry suggests that a student can’t take rejections personally. “The field is competitive. It is difficult, challenging, and might test your patience,” he explains.  Perry learned that much like a search for a full-time role, the “no interest” reply is part of the process.   

Sometimes a role, even an internship, has been put on hold.  Or maybe the qualifications have changed.  Maybe a returning intern has popped back on the company’s radar, and the employer eagerly hires that student as an intern.  Or maybe the hiring budget has been cut.  We may never know. Again, as Perry advises don’t take it personally.  The company’s interest (or lack of) may not be related to your candidacy. 

With online recruitment platforms, it is far easier to apply for a job or internship, than ever before.  Some candidates ignore the qualifications too.  As an example, we see responses from candidates who are clearly not qualified.  If we post that we are looking for a summer finance intern who can commute to Newton, but then a psychology major who lives in San Francisco applies, then it is unlikely that this candidate meets the qualifications for the role.  For the hiring team, it is frustrating to be flooded with resumes who are not remotely qualified.

Perseverance and resilience are important.  “Keep swinging,” as they say in baseball.        

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