Summer is a great time to pursue career development opportunities! Some students feel pressure to land a formal internship opportunity in their first and sophomore year summers that will pave the path to success for junior year recruiting. In reality, many formalized internship programs are designed specifically for upperclassmen who have completed a significant amount of coursework that they would be able to apply to the internship experience.
It’s not impossible to land a formal internship prior to your junior year, but it is important to recognize that there may be fewer opportunities than you will find later in your academic experience. Until then, there are many other opportunities you can pursue that will equip you with relevant skills and expand your network! Check out some of the common experiences you can pursue below and utilize the following worksheet to help you plan out your summer.
Build an Exploration Roadmap:
In order to move forward in your development, it is important to explore your career options, identify the skills you will need to be successful in your chosen field, and chart potential opportunities you can pursue to build these important skills. Complete the worksheet above to brainstorm strategic steps you can take to enhance your skillset.
Informational Interviewing:
One of the best ways to explore different career options is to connect with people who are in the industry! You can schedule informational interviews with professional who serve in careers you are interested in potentially pursuing and learn more about their daily life. Discover the aspects of their job that motivate them to get out of bed in the morning, the challenges they face, and the skills they find most critical for success. The story of their past can help you chart your future as you consider if their path is one you may or may not want to pursue.
Bonus: You are starting to build your ever important professional network!
For additional tips on how to pursue informational interview opportunities and how to plan for that interaction, see the Outreach to Contacts page.
Job Shadowing:
You can take your informational interview to the next level by asking to participate in a job shadowing experience. Seeing a professional in their “natural habitat” allows you to envision what a career might look like.
Tip: If you don’t feel comfortable asking a new contact you have made through the networking and informational interview process, consider tapping into your network that already exists! Do your parents or extended family members work in the sector you are interested in? Do you have friends who might be able to connect you with their relatives who are in the industry? It is often easier to start with the people you know.
WashU Programming:
Further your education and professional skillset by engaging in opportunities in your own backyard! Olin and Washington University offer various programs that you can take advantage of during your undergraduate career.
Center for Experiential Learning (CEL) – Olin Business School’s Center for Experiential Learning creates innovative learning opportunities for you to deliver impact for organizations through faculty-guided, student-driven consulting projects and experiences within the St. Louis community and across the globe. These programs are designed to help you develop business management consulting competencies including project management, critical thinking, problem formulation, and leadership and communication skills.
Israel Summer Business Academy (ISBA) – A collaboration between Olin and the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel, ISBA launched in the summer of 2014. The academy is designed for students of all faiths, beliefs, and academic backgrounds who want to learn about Israeli business firsthand – and immerse themselves in the country’s entrepreneurial environment.
Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship – In addition to offering developmental entrepreneurial workshops and programming throughout the academic year, Skandalaris also has a fellowship for undergrad students. This opportunity begins with a Spring semester and leads up to a 10-week paid summer internship for an early-stage startup in the St. Louis area. The fellowship allows students to have an intensive introduction to St. Louis and to the world of startups, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
Part-Time Job:
Never neglect the value of a part-time job! You can build many core skills in communication, customer service, analytical, and collaborative capabilities in a part-time job. Feeling like you want an extra challenge? Talk with your former supervisor from a HS job to see if there are additional responsibilities you could take on that could help you develop new skills, especially if you have a specific competence in mind that would be relevant for careers you are considering. You can even piece together multiple part-time job opportunities to create a portfolio of experiences that will help you build fundamental skills and contribute to your personal narrative for future potential employers.
Volunteering at a Local Non-Profit:
Another option is to seek out opportunities to build your skills at a local organization. Volunteer roles can help you grow your core skills just as effectively as a part-time job or internship. If you have a specific competency you hope to develop, you can approach your favorite nonprofit and offer your expertise. For example, if you love animals you could approach a nearby Humane Society location and offer to craft a social media strategy plan. Not only are you building your personal skills, but you are also giving back to the community!
Micro-Internships:
Micro-Internships are short term projects that provide the opportunity to take lessons learned in the classroom and apply them to real world business problems. Additionally, these experiences allow you to contribute to a real organization all while developing your professional competencies and expanding your network. Many of these projects are even paid! You can use Micro-Internship database sites like Parker Dewey, Upkey, and Forage to find opportunities and get matched with potential employers.
Formal Internship:
Should you be able to land an internship during one of these first few summer, congratulations! There is a greater likelihood that these experiences will be unpaid. If your new employer is requiring you to earn credit in order to participate in the internship experience, MGT 450A may be a great option for you. If you have any questions about the course, you can contact the Course Coordinator Emily Albers at ealbers@wustl.edu.