It’s that time of year! Nope, it’s not quite Thanksgiving, and unfortunately we’re still a long way from Christmas. But if you’re a third-, second- or even the occasional first-year, it’s time to apply for summer internships. Delve into the world of summer internships, scour the Internet for available positions, and strengthen that resume of yours all while juggling the relentless grind of academic, extracurricular and social opportunities.
Participation in summer internships has become a rite of passage for many students across the country, particularly here at the University. Students hope internships will strengthen their résumé and thus facilitate an easier transition into a respectable career. However, while students stress over obtaining their summer internships, they rarely jump for joy at the thought of working one.
What, then, causes this desire? Maybe some students truly do wish to spend one of their last free college summers working, often unpaid, in a professional setting. However, my bet is that most students would rather be doing something else — something more enjoyable — with their time. Unfortunately, parental, peer and societal influences force many students into applying for unwanted internships. Out of fear of falling behind their future competition, students seek out summer internships. While some profit from these tireless experiences, many merely trudge through the tedium.
“So who cares? Yes, I might not like my internship, but if it sets me apart from my competition, why not apply? I’m just going to be sitting on my couch and watching TV instead.”
“Some financial jobs require previous internship experience.”
I constantly hear replies like these from my friends and other students around Grounds. If your future dream job requires, or rather highly suggests, an internship, then you probably should do an internship or relevant course work this summer. Also, if you’re completely certain that without an internship you’ll turn into a couch potato and eat spray cheese and Twinkies for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, then by all means apply right now. But considering you are a hard-working, intelligent student here at the University, I highly doubt that this is the case. You have ambitions, dreams and desires of your own, and while some may include working a summer internship, countless others do not.
I refuse to apply for a summer internship until I find one that holds inherent value for me. Instead, I choose to spend my free time doing something I love, something exciting and invigorating and maybe even life changing: something that I would argue offers much more than most summer internships ever could. I choose to do what I want with one of my last free collegiate summers. I choose to explore my desires and the world around me.
That does sound a bit corny, but the notion behind it is anything but. I don’t necessarily mean to luxuriously travel around the world (although if you have the money, go!), but rather to explore what life has to offer. Sign up to take classes in another country, work a crazy job near you or embark on some ridiculously long cross-country journey with friends. You could also write a book, learn a language or even build something. The possibilities are limitless and while some require money, others, like writing a book or working a crazy job, do not. Fortunately even for those that do, a lot of planning and a bit of fundraising will grant you the opportunity to accomplish nearly anything.
So let us again ask, why not apply for a summer internship? Well, assuming you have the desire to experience something else besides working a summer internship, if you still choose the internship, you’re being lazy; your application to a summer internship is taking the easy way out. Instead of investing time and planning out a thrilling summer, you seek out pre-structured, easily submittable, and quickly completable internship applications.
So be proactive. Invest a little more time and effort into your summer planning. Figure out what it is that you enjoy and find a way to get it done. If you want to travel, find the cheapest flights, apply for a scholarship or even find a temporary job you could work in the country you want to. The best things in life take a bit of hard work, but as Matthew from The Girl Next Door would say, “The juice is worth the squeeze.”
Two years down the road when you’re applying to jobs, tell the recruiter why there’s no internship on your résumé. Tell him how you gained so much more than you would have behind that accounting desk. My guess is that, even for financial jobs which strongly suggest internships, this will immediately distinguish you from your competition (in the right way).
Nate Menninger is a Viewpoint Writer.
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