Eager students navigate summer internships to expand skills
Sophomore Sai Sharanya Bhagavathula created this graphic for Austin MacWorks, a company hired by Apple, to market Apple’s products and IOS beta.
May 15, 2022
From shadowing a government official to writing code for a tech firm, summer internships allow students to strengthen their professional skills in addition to getting exposure to a desired career path.
Both unpaid and paid internships give students a chance to build their resumes and impress college admissions officers. Students can take several steps, such as researching and reaching out, for an upper-hand through the process.
According to USChamber, one of the first steps before applying for an internship is interacting with job-focused social media platforms, such as GlassDoor, where a student can research companies and a company can view a student’s profile if they are interested in learning more.
“I think using GlassDoor is extremely helpful because you can also see previous reviews of a position that you might be applying for,” sophomore Sai Sharanya Bhagavathula said.
Also, by searching “internship” in the jobs tab on LinkedIn and checking boxes regarding preferences on the sidebar, the website will notify a student about internship postings.
“In addition to using websites such as LinkedIn, students can also contact school counselors and teachers to help find internships,” junior Gowri Balagopal said. “I found my internship on LinkedIn and was able to talk to my counselor about confirming the offer.”
While searching for internships may be relatively easy, companies often require students to provide supplemental material such as essays. Edusson states that a student’s essay should start with an attention-grabbing sentence, citing prior experience that relates to the opportunity and explaining the skills a student has that makes them a valuable asset to the company.
“As time management, collaboration and problem solving are skills that are valuable in the workforce, these are the skills that a student should discuss in the essays,” Balagopal said. “Embellishing such skills has helped me receive an internship learning about nylon components and developing nylon beads.”
Internships can also be obtained through networking. For example, many contact family friends or past employers to find internship opportunities that match their field of interest.
“I heard about interning for Jennifer Wexton’s campaign from a friend I connected with during an advocacy training institute a few summers ago,” junior Nitya Varigala said. “She had been a part of it and recommended that I apply for the internship.”
Many apply to internships through the career and college newsletter sent out by Ms. Greiner every week. However, these internships are commonly very selective and many students from the school apply to them, so students often apply to four to five that match the profession they are looking into.
“The internship I am participating in leans on the selective end as only five interns [are] selected to intern under Jennifer Wexton’s campaign,” Varigala said.
Websites such as CollegeVine, SimplyHired and Zippa, provide internships for high school students and specific information on the holistic skills one gains from taking internships.
“While my internship focused on marketing Apple’s products, I learned so many skills other than just design and collaboration,” Bhagavathula said. “I definitely recommend internships as they give exposure to the workforce.”
