I've been trying to line up an internship for this summer, hoping to gain some extra money and work experience. However, being the state of jobs nearly everywhere in the US - very few people are looking to actually take on interns of my skill level for this summer. I was telling my dad and step mom about this and they brought up an interesting point. They told me that I'm not in a financial situation where I absolutely have to work this summer. Because of this - I could try to even do some volunteer work or something. Also, since I'm planning on studying abroad in Denmark this coming fall, they told me to consider looking abroad as well for some opportunities - both in the vocational and volunteer areas. This hit me totally from out of the blue - I hadn't even thought of these as options. But they make sense! I talked with my mom about it, just to get some more ideas - and she has a totally different opinion. She told me that choosing not to work this summer and opting to do volunteer work, that it showed me to have a spoiled personality. She told me that I was acting like I was above working. By not choosing to get a paying job, I was being lazy and taking on an attitude that others will just take care of me in the future if I ever get into financial trouble. All this really threw me for a loop. I totally wasn't expecting this, except I should have guessed at it. She'll hardly mention a small job opportunity, and if I don't jump all over it she assumes I'm being a lazy, ungrateful ass. Still, even in her extreme view of the situation - she has a point. Choosing not to work for pay this summer, means that I've lost a valuable chance to go ahead and set away money for the future. In considering all this, I want to try and find out more information. What is your take on summer internships? Summer jobs? I don't really know anything about volunteer work either. What sort of things are available nationally? How do you find out about them? What sort of financial input is expected of you (housing, board, travel)? How easy would it be to try and go to a specific part of the country? Does anyone know about working abroad? How easily is this set up? How could you go about trying to find available jobs?
The practical accountant in my says that you should try to find a paying job this summer. If you're going to get up every day to go to work, why not get paid for it. However, the reality is that once you have commitments and responsibilities, you'll never have the opportunity to NOT work, so doing something interesting (and possibly in another country) might be a good idea - as this might be your only opportunity to do so. I don't know your mom and dad, but could it be that your mom thinks most of your dad's ideas are stupid now that they're divorced?
I don't often like to directly contradict someone's parents, but in this case, your mom is totally, 100% wrong. By choosing to volunteer, you're showing the complete opposite of what she said, that you're willing to donate your time and energy to a cause or issue that's important to you, and that you're willing to work hard, without any compensation, to help whatever cause it is. Colleges, employers, and others actually view volunteer work very highly, because it shows that a person *isn't* selfish, *isn't* spoiled, and is willing to do something that benefits others, rather than him/herself. If you find the right opportunity, volunteer work can be a great resume builder toward your chosen career, help you find a career (or find out whether you like a given career area), and potentially give you contacts and connections that might get you a job. And if the volunteer opportunity is in an interesting place, like Denmark, then of course there's that much more growth opportunity that comes from living in a different culture. I would wonder, along with Jim, whether maybe your mom is condeming that idea because of Not Invented Here.
My daughter was kind of in the same boat last summer. Her regular summer employer just couldn't afford to put her on full-time with the recession going on. She wanted to get an internship last summer but nobody could afford to pay her. So she worked part-time during the summer. Now she has an internship which is volunteer. She is learning alot and getting alot of experience too. So sometimes you have to just search for what's available and do what you can even if its volunteer.
I'm in chemical engineering - looking towards energy or biochem. ------------------- How exactly do you find volunteer opportunities? There's a career center at my college, but as far as I know, they only deal with job placement. Still, it might be a good place to look into... If my summer plans keep me in the states - it would be really really awesome (like absolutely amazing) to end up close to a certain someone, in like the middle of new jersey. I know that I'm not really in the position to be picky, but do you think that would be too hard to work out? Also - what's the deal with living set ups with volunteer jobs - could I look forward to getting help with housing? Becky, was your daughter able to go back to the same employer as a volunteer after she was turned down for a paying job? I have one company that I'm interested in trying to apply for a job with - but if I can't get a paying job, would it make sense to ask for a volunteer position? Thanks for all your help
I can offer you some pertinent advice as someone who's regularly hired engineers and technologists (my field). Most employers will look very favorably on someone who's done volunteer work. It shows initiative, resourcefulness and drive, which is something your future employer will want to see in a candidate. Truth is, I've seen way too many college students who went with the option of doing nothing when faced with the choices in front of you, and it makes them sound either lazy or risky. Usually a volunteer position with a company is either structured as an internship (limited pay) or work experience (often for free). I've known a number of companies in your field who regularly hired or took on students for summer work. But don't discount truly philanthropic volunteer work like with aid agencies or the peace corps or that kind. Again, most employers will see an individual who has initiative, and they like that. Plus it could expose you to a whole new world of life experiences.
I spent all but one of my college summers on campus-easiest way possible to find a job (but not one that will get you experience unless you are very lucky enough to get some kind of departmental research position, which a lot of schools, even small private schools, have). Large public schools will also have opportunities. The University of Minnesota, for example, has the Life Science Summer Research Program for Undergraduates (LSSURP). Try your college's career center. If I were a gambling man, I would bet that they have an alumni database, and you could find alums in your field, and since those types of databases are a voluntary service the alums have signed up for, they might be able to help you get in at their company or organization. It's not WHAT you know, but WHO you know.
There's Americorps, which is a government-run program for people, sort of vaguely like Peace Corps for people in the US. I think their minimum commitment is 9 months, but you might check. I met a group of Americorps volunteers who were the most interesting and energetic people ever, and seemed like they were having great fun together. Almost any nonprofit organization would *love* to have a full time (or near full time) volunteer for the summer. Most are severely underfunded because giving is down with the economy as it is. If there's a particular field you find interesting, you can just look up nonprofits in that field (check out guidestar.org) and email the volunteer coordinator or executive director and discuss options. Be prepared to talk about what skills you have and what sort of things you'd be willing to do. (The more open you are to doing whatever is needed, the more they'll be excited to have you.) Some might have arrangements to put you up for the summer, others may not. I was a near-full time volunteer for a nonprofit as part of an internship I did when I was in college. It gave me some amazing experience and skill, and did lead to a job with the organization later on, after i graduated. I was able to stay in the exec director's home and she provided meals. It was great because I ended up getting a lot more knowledge than if it had just been a 9 to 5 thing.
