Equip for an Internship

The 25.7% teenage unemployment rate in June illustrates that young people are having a difficult time finding work during this recession. With jobs harder to come by, youth need to find other ways to gain work experience and use their time productively.

For years, summers have been ideal for teenagers to earn extra cash, but rather than spending weeks applying for jobs that are much less attainable in this economic climate, young people should seek alternatives to build their resumes and cultivate a repertoire of life experience. Internships, volunteering, and summer classes all provide a great substitute to summer jobs, and provide lessons that will be necessary for any future career.

Paul Biederman, an economics professor at New York University, stands by the premise that in light of the economy, students should remain active during their free time and partake in every experience possible. “For those who are unable to get one [a job] in this tough economic climate, those unfortunates should do anything possible to avoid having to explain an empty time period to a future employer…internships should be used to burnish a resume while gaining valuable experience that can point to a career,” he says.

If part-time jobs and internships fall through, Biederman suggests other opportunities that can productively occupy one’s time. “Such positive activities might include volunteering or self-improvement, like summer-school courses,” advises the professor. He also recommends planning an entrepreneurial project with others. While gaining work experience, you also find out more about an industry, you learn what you’re capable of, and you network for the future.

Allie Zamfir, a rising sophomore at Lehigh University, recognizes the difficulty she and her friends have experienced in seeking summer employment, but she decided to use her spare time productively. “Since I couldn’t find a job or an internship in my field, I decided to pick up a few extra credits by taking an online class,” she says.

Nicole Mastrangelo, of St. Johns University, also noticed the summer employment woes around her, and decided to keep what originally started out as a semester-long internship. She works at Likeable Media, a marketing communications company based out of New York City. Comparing the experiences of a part-time job versus an internship, she says, “Even though I could have made more money working a part-time job, I’m gaining extremely valuable experience from my internship, which I cannot only reference in time to come, but will also make my resume more appealing.”

That’s another great asset of internships–they prepare you for your future career. “Since I work with people who have the same kind of job I will want in the future, I can ask for advice or tips that'll help me improve my work,” says Karine Benzaria, an NYU student with an internship in London. “Internships can also have fun perks; I get to travel to London for a week and get lodged while making contact with people who already work in the field I'm interested in.”

Denise Meadows, of the James Madison University Career and Academic Planning Office, believes that although part-time positions provide work experience, internships and volunteer work can give you a substantive advantage. “With an internship, it’s going to be related to your industry of choice, and it’s going to open the door for you to develop experience and a knowledge-base within that industry. Hopefully, you’re also going to gain from that internship substantive experience, as in a project, so that you have a deliverable that you can show future employers.”

Meadows suggests using all resources available to you to land an internship. Many colleges have recruiting systems, online software that connects directly to employers, on campus recruitment, career fairs and workshops, and employer info sessions.

Internships, volunteer work, and summer classes all provide a platform for the future. Summer jobs may earn you some extra cash flow and relevant work skills, but these alternative experiences provide the foundation needed to break into an industry, a chance to learn what you’re interested in and what you’re capable of, and important networking opportunities. The value of an experience all depends on what you make of it, and though there are difficulties in finding employment, young people should use this closed door to search for an open window.