Ghosted by internship hiring managers? Here's a guide to creating your own experiential learning summer project
American college students have been scrambling to land summer internships this year. The process has been notoriously difficult, as more and more companies lean into AI—and lay off employees. Many entry-level opportunities have vanished.
But a paid, full-time internship in your chosen industry is not the only worthwhile experience you can have this summer. The National Association of Colleges and Employers says that those who participate in experiential learning—a category including internships, externships, research projects, practicums, and micro-internships—both garner more job options and land a higher starting salary.
Experiential learning extends beyond 'traditional' paid internships, yet still benefits those who take the initiative. In their early careers, experiential learners typically experience faster career progression, higher career satisfaction, more satisfaction with their university experience, and an average of $15,000 more in salary.
Create your own plan
Uncertainty about the economy has increased caution at corporations, as hiring managers slow down timelines and are more conservative with hiring. Cindy Meis, director of the undergraduate career services at the Tippie School of Business, University of Iowa, says that even if students are 'doing everything right,' they still might not be getting results from their search. Students who feel thwarted by the traditional internship route can still create their own plan.
According to Meis, you can make almost anything a meaningful experience—you simply have to figure out how to formalize it.
'Think through how [your experience] can translate into numerical, tangible, transferable skills,' Meis says. 'So whatever it is you decide to do, I want it to be meaningful, planned, and deliberate.'
Here's how to plan out the rest of the summer—and create a meaningful experience for yourself—without a traditional summer internship.
Networking
You don't need a formal internship to expand your contacts. Create a networking goal for the summer, whether that's a coffee chat every week with an alumni of your school who works in an interesting field, or a networking event once a month.
Utilize LinkedIn or your school's alumni networking platform to locate individuals you want to speak to. Typically, your school's alumni will be receptive to offering help, support, or advice, so it's often okay to send a cold email or LinkedIn message to someone you would like to speak to
Before your meeting, ask yourself: What do I want to know about this career in this industry? What do I want to know about this person's professional path? You can also reach out for feedback on your résumé, or even to job-shadow someone for a day (the formalized—key word here—version of this is called an externship).
Optimizing your summer job
Many college students discount the jobs they hold over the summer as meaningful experience. If you're a camp counselor, you can focus on the work you did to develop programming, handle unhappy parents, and deal with incidents. If you're a barista, focus on the teamwork with your coworkers, your customer service skills, and your ability to memorize and execute hundreds of coffee orders a day.
According to Meis, you should think about every single thing you did in your job, and what things can apply to your target industry. Often, students forget about most of the things they did on a daily basis that might demonstrate important skills. These experiences are every bit as meaningful as anything you'll gain from an internship.
'I think sometimes half my job is being a cheerleader,' Meis says. 'I want to know every little detail.'
Upskilling
LinkedIn Learning is a great resource to develop other job skills that will benefit you in the future, Meis says. Students can even get certificates proving to future employers that they have the job's most relevant skills.
LinkedIn Learning has a multitude of courses available to those with a premium membership, which is available as a free trial for 30 days. It offers everything from Grammar Foundations and Using Generative AI Ethically at Work to Javascript: Classes.
Connecting with your college career advisor
If you're a rising sophomore, junior, or senior, you can always contact the career advisor at your institution for a conversation. Career advisors are typically available in the summer, and you can always use them as a resource for help creating a plan. It's never too early or too late to chat, says Meis.
'I'm going to meet you where you're at, and it might be too late to get the traditional internship that you wanted,' Meis says. 'But it's not too late to have a plan or to pivot or to make an adjustment because something didn't work out.'
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