Time to Search for Summer Internships
For those of us in the northern hemisphere, the middle of January usually brings thoughts of trying to stay warm, catching a hockey game, curling up with a good book by the fire, trying to figure out a way of paying the credit card bills from our holiday shopping spree and, of course, getting our resumes in shape.
Huh? Resumes in January? For those who are looking for an internship, this is the beginning of the peak season. While internships are available year-round, the bulk of the most sought after internships run from June through August and the hiring for those internships commences in January and runs through April.
So if you're looking for an internship, look now. A quick look at our exclusive internship job posting page revealed about 75 postings for internships. Some are paid and some are unpaid. According to a recent National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) study, 98 percent of their member organizations report that they pay their interns and that the average pay is $15.44 per hour. But NACE's membership is heavily skewed to large organizations. I haven't seen any surveys of all types of internships, but based upon my conversations with students and employers, I estimate that about half of internships are paid and the remaining half are unpaid.
Students who are not successful in landing a paid internship or who don't want such an internship to begin with often ask if they are better off taking a non-career related position that primarily offers good pay or a career-related internship that primarily offers good experience. The answer? If there is any way possible for them to make it work financially, always take the position that offers the best experience. The few thousand dollars that you might give up in the short-term will be one of the best investments that make in yourself in the long-term. With better experience, you'll have a much easier time upon graduation landing a great job. You'll find a better job faster, so the lost income you suffer now will come back to you many times over within just a few years of graduation.
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