Internship Tips For Freshmen
BY POOJA ANAND
When I was a freshman, I knew nothing about internships or what I should be doing over the summer. I felt like I was surrounded by so many people who knew exactly what they were doing or were way ahead of me. Honestly, I still feel that way sometimes. But, here’s a little secret: most people actually don’t know what they’re doing. It’s true. Everyone has a different process and journey, so don’t be hard on yourself if yours is different than your peers.
And if you need help or support, reach out! I was always so nervous to reach out to upperclassmen as a freshman because I didn’t know how to or if I was asking too much. Now that I’m about to become an upperclassman, I realize that I missed out. Remember that upperclassmen were once in your place and they would love to help you and give you advice. Speaking of advice…
Here are some internship resources and advice I wish I knew about as a freshman:
1. Start-ups
Start-ups are a great place to do your first internship because you will get exposure to a lot of different areas of business. Also, a lot of larger companies specifically recruit upperclassmen, and start-ups are more lenient with their requirements. Angel.co is a helpful website to find job listings at start-ups.
2. Stern Professors
Stern professors are great resources for summer opportunities. Professor Hanssen runs a program called Social Impact Scholars which is a great learning experience. Another idea I would recommend is reaching out to professors leading SPUR programs and asking them if they could use additional help over the summer.
3. Event Speakers + Stern Network
Reach out to event speakers that you found interesting and connect with them. Once you know them a little better and learn more about their work, you can always ask about internship opportunities if you are interested. Also, reach out to alumni through the Stern Network. There are so many alumni on the network who are open to connect with and mentor current students.
4. Local Businesses
If you love a specific local business, I would recommend reaching out to them.
Small businesses can usually use some more help, so you can offer to assist them with social media or finance. Similar to start-ups, small businesses are also a great place to learn more about different areas of business through hands-on experience.
5. Other Options
In my opinion, the point of internships is to demonstrate experience and show that you were doing something worthwhile over your break from school. There are several ways to get experience and so many alternatives to an internship. Here are some options:
Take summer classes
I actually did this over my summer break to complete some of my requirements. It’s a good idea to take classes that you know are difficult for you over the summer because they tend to be easier and there is less content due to the shortened time frame. I took Info Tech over my freshman summer and I’ve also heard some people recommend taking Principles of Financial Accounting.
Get a job
Getting a job over the summer is a great way to gain experience. I’ve often found that people underestimate the skills you gain working in the service industry. I’ve worked in retail before and it has helped me develop my soft skills, understand how businesses operate at the store level, and gain insight into consumer behavior. These are real skills you can talk about at any job interview. Another upside to working over the summer is that you will get paid, which is something that is rare for early internships.
I hope some of those ideas were helpful. As someone who has been in your shoes, I’d like to say that it’s all going to be ok. At Stern, we place so much importance on internships, and as a result, we put so much pressure on ourselves. Internships are only a small part of your journey and they will not make or break your career. As someone who did not do an internship their freshman summer, I want to let you know that internships are not the only option. While you do not have to do anything professional or career-related over the summer, I’d recommend doing something you can speak about, whether that be taking a class, volunteering, or learning a new skill.
If you have any questions or are looking for more specific advice, please feel free to reach out to me or anyone in USWIB. Take advantage of the community USWIB offers and connect with people! You are sure to find someone who is interested in the same field as you and can offer you advice.
Finally, I know recruiting is stressful, so please make sure you are taking care of yourself.