Underachieving college students?
July 6th, 2009
If you have an internship or a part time job this summer you are apparently among the ‘lucky few’ according to the New York Times. In the Sunday Styles section reporter Alex Williams supports his thesis with a number of stories of college students who have returned home, unemployed.
For those of you who are employed this summer, it may be hard to relate to this story.
Finding a summer job or internship takes time. In many competitive industries or government the majority of the internships may be unpaid. By early spring it should not have been a surprise that a new level of effort would be required to find work this summer. And it is quite possible that many would be working two jobs – an unpaid internship and a paid part time job to help with the cost of college.
The reality of the new economy is that experience trumps GPA with most employers. The majority of graduates with full time offers this year had one or two internships on their resume. Even in the sectors that were hit the hardest by the economic downturn, employers offered full time positions to their summer interns.
Here is my question for those of you who are still at home without a job. What have you done today to change your situation? If you believe it is too late, then use the remaining time this summer to network. Schedule some time with professionals in your field and get advice on what you should do next. These conversations may lead to an opportunity.
Why does your internship have to be in the summer? Most employers hire year round. If you are taking 18 credits in the fall, you still have at least 10 hours to work at an internship.
You have a choice. You can read articles in the newspapers that tell you that there are no options and it is ok to sit home all summer or you can start moving toward your career goal. It’s your choice. In this competitive job market, you do not want to carry the label of underachiever.