College class of 2018 (current college sophomores) - summer plans?

[Hoggirl]

What are your kiddos doing over the summer?

 

Although I know he has had some interviews, ds has had no luck in obtaining a summer internship.

I find it difficult to know how much to ask him about this. I don't want to be too pushy - I know he IS trying, but I honestly don't think it's best for him to be home all summer either. Being on a quarter system when our area is not means he doesn't finish school until over a month after the local students are out. And next fall his classes don't start until September 26th, which is more than a month after classes start here, because of when Christmas falls. I seriously doubt his ability to get anything local, even at a minimum wage rate b/c of the timing issues. I guess I'm just feeling a little anxious for him.

 

ETA: Oops, I asked specifically about Class of 2018 b/c one of the things ds is saying is it is difficult for sophomores to get internships. I don't know if that is specific to his location or true everywhere.

 

ETA, again: "specific to his location specifically." Ha ha ha! Good grief!

Edited March 11, 2016 by Hoggirl

[Laura in CA]

Obviously, your son should have gone to that school across the Bay ...  :001_rolleyes:

 

 

 

 

 

ha! ha! just kidding  :Angel_anim:  :lol:

 

I don't have any advice, sorry -- but sending sympathy. It is hard to know how much to ask/hint/push, in this and in other areas ...

 

I know you know my son (a current college sophomore) has a fantastic opportunity this summer. He attended a job fair around Labor Day and had received two offers of (well-)paid Silicon Valley internships by October. Many of his friends have already received offers (from Amazon, Google, etc.), but some do not have summer jobs lined up yet. I talked to my son's roommate a few days ago and he should hear by next week from FedEx (he is an industrial engineering major).

 

 

[Pawz4me]

DS is running into the same problem regarding internships for sophomores. We wrangled him a couple of good internships last year through our own contacts but he didn't want to repeat those again. He did apply for quite a few but so far has only had one interview and he didn't think it went well. At this point it's looking like he'll be doing a six week study abroad course in Denmark.

[8filltheheart]

Ds is blessed. He was offered multiple REUs to choose from. He sent Cornell an acceptance letter this morning.

[J-rap]

I'm curious about those of you whose children are looking for internships:  are they looking for paid internships only, or not necessarily?  

 

My dd is pretty early on in her major and isn't feeling quite comfortable in an internship yet.  (She only firmed up her major + certificate this year.)  But she really needs to look for a job that pays decently.  Last summer, she was a camp counselor and enjoyed it, but obviously the pay wasn't too good and it's kind of a dead end.  There really is nothing in our hometown, so we've all just accepted the fact that she'll have more opportunities staying in her college town.  (Which is actually a big city and where most of our relatives live.)  

 

I always feel like she should get started on these things earlier, but I really want her to take ownership of what she needs to do so that I'm not doing all the pushing.  I am trying find a nice balance.   :)

 

 

[Hoggirl]

Obviously, your son should have gone to that school across the Bay ... :001_rolleyes:

 

 

 

 

 

ha! ha! just kidding :Angel_anim: :lol:

 

I don't have any advice, sorry -- but sending sympathy. It is hard to know how much to ask/hint/push, in this and in other areas ...

 

I know you know my son (a current college sophomore) has a fantastic opportunity this summer. He attended a job fair around Labor Day and had received two offers of (well-)paid Silicon Valley internships by October. Many of his friends have already received offers (from Amazon, Google, etc.), but some do not have summer jobs lined up yet. I talked to my son's roommate a few days ago and he should hear by next week from FedEx (he is an industrial engineering major).

I don't think that is it, Laura!

 

I do think, however, that some of it is degree-related. It doesn't seem like the CS kids have ANY trouble finding internships. I don't really know how/where all he has looked. He certainly hasn't limited himself to Silicon Valley. I know he had an interview with a company outside of Chicago and another with a hedge fund in Connecticut. He got a second round with the latter (they came out to PA to recruit) which was a group thing. Interestingly, he said at least half of those there were history/poli sci/philosophy types.

[Sunshine State Sue]

I heard that ds went to a job fair and there was supposed to be an interview for a summer internship with Exxon sometime.  I have heard that it is more common for juniors to get internships.  I'll have to ask what happened.  I wonder if I'll get a response.   :toetap05: 

 

Last summer, he had a factory job near school.  I suspect he is eager to do something different this summer.  But, it will be waiting for him if nothing better comes along...

[creekland]

My sophomore has been wondering lately if he wants to work with older people, so will be checking over spring break (later this month) to see if the local retirement homes have options.  He doesn't want to be doing nursing - more like working with activities like gardening.  He's been enjoying doing that here in FL lately.

 

I hope he can find a position, because it would be good for him to figure out if that's what he really wants to do.  His major would change to Human Development if he does.

 

All of this is sparked off his Greece trip and that course studying the Blue Zones and longevity.

[Pawz4me]

I'm curious about those of you whose children are looking for internships:  are they looking for paid internships only, or not necessarily?

 

My very limited understanding from DS's internships last year is that not many companies do unpaid internships any more.  Something about a relatively new law that was passed???

[Sunshine State Sue]

course studying the Blue Zones and longevity.

 

I loved that book.  It would be very interesting to sit in a class about it.

 

[creekland]

I loved that book.  It would be very interesting to sit in a class about it.

 

 

That was his J Term course at Eckerd - complete with a trip to Greece to study one of the areas in person and with local experts.

 

He's been sharing a lot with us.  It was a terrific learning experience and has definitely changed his life (diet, activities, etc).  If he opts to change his major/future job plans, it might really change his life!

[anne1456]

My husband's company has a great program where they match up employee's college kids with local non-profits for the summer. The kids are paid by the company, which tries very hard to offer them jobs that match their majors. It is a great program all around, the non-profits get useful work, the kids get experience, and the company can deduct it as a charitable donation. It is really useful for after freshman and sophomore year when it is hard to find an internship.

 

That said my sophomore daughter isn't using it this year, she is graduating with her associates in nursing and spending the summer studying for the NCLEX and finding a nursing job. 

[chiguirre]

My very limited understanding from DS's internships last year is that not many companies do unpaid internships any more.  Something about a relatively new law that was passed???

It's illegal to not pay interns now.

[MysteryJen]

Ds1 will be coaching again, I think. He needs more paid work, so job hunting will hopefully happen during Spring Break. Who knows? I am not always privy to his plans :)

[Carol in Cal.]

Last summer, the one between her freshman and sophomore year, DD got a job selling computers at Fry's.  For someone majoring in the creative writing of poetry, this was a bit counterintuitive, but she did very well at it.  She hasn't had any trouble finding jobs in retail elsewhere.  There are a ton of retail opportunities in the Bay Area right now for well spoken kids.  Summer camp aide jobs are also abundant, although I think they normally fill up earlier in the winter; but if there is an organization that you often sent  your son to for camps when he was younger, that would be a place to approach for a job for sure.  They love hiring alumni, generally.

 

A friend of hers became a tourguide at the Winchester Mystery House.

 

This summer DD will be attending a summer semester intensive abroad in the Czech republic until early July, and then come back to a parttime paid internship in her field that she arranged on her own initiative.  She may also work a little in retail if she can arrange this around her internship hours.

 

The key was getting her to go out and apply and interview, and not wait for one answer before looking elsewhere.

 

What is your son's major?

 

I concur that Cal would have been better.  :)  Go Bears!

[Gwen in VA]

An organ performance major, dd is interviewing for year-around part-time church positions near her college. She already has an apartment lined up starting in May for next year. She hopes to land a position that will allow her to spend part of the week in her apartment and part of the week at home (4 hours away) where she hopes to find a part-time position using her musical skills. We'll see.

 

It says something about college room and board rates that renting a NICE off-campus apartment for 12 months is cheaper than living in an old run-down on-campus apartment for 9 months!

[Hoggirl]

^ Y'all need to get off this "Cal would have been better," jibber jabber! Ha ha!

 

His major is now Management Science & Engineering. It's a hybrid type of degree. Stanford does not have an undergraduate business school. This major incorporates the engineering core, lots of statistics, math & science, some CS, some finance, optimization, etc. Closet thing is probably Industrial Engineering.

 

I know he was looking late fall, and we have made sure he is not waiting on one answer to apply elsewhere.

 

He has put in to be a residential counselor at a camp at Stanford. To my knowledge, he has not yet heard back. Site said two - three weeks, and I think their placement is sort of rolling. He is in the middle of final exams now, so I am trying not to bug him too much.

 

Interesting point about the paid v unpaid. One of his classmates has secured a summer internship with the US Ambassador to the UN. No pay, no housing. And in NYC! So, I don't really understand the "rules" for payment of internships for government internships. Ds interned at our local Congressman's office last summer. That did not pay nor did the Congressman's internships in DC.

[JoanHomeEd]

Came across this thread the other day at CC. According to folks there, unpaid internships are well and alive.

 

https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1869143-unpaid-internships.html

[Guest2]

My son isn't having much luck securing an internship as a sophmore. He was so bored over the spring break. He is planning on knocking out a few courses in the summer at home. I think I will encourage him to spend at least one summer term at the school he attends during the year taking a class or possibly getting involved in some research. There is much less going on in the summer there....but more than there is for him to do at home.

Edited March 20, 2016 by Silver Brook

[Jenny in Florida]

Mine is planning to take a class or two at the local community college. He's using summers to work toward a certificate in a field not offered at his university (entertainment tech). He's also planning to study for and CLEP a gen ed course that is required for his degree but which he has no interest in actually sitting through.

 

We've told him we expect him to work. He's been submitting applications, but hasn't yet had a nibble. I know the dance school he attended when he was in high school would be happy to have him teach a class or two, but they are a pretty small operation and wouldn't able to offer him enough hours to make it worth driving across town. So, the search continues.

Edited March 20, 2016 by Jenny in Florida

[katilac]

 We've told him we expect him to work. He's been submitting applications, but hasn't yet had a nibble.  

 

In my area, summer jobs are almost impossible to come by; there are just too many people willing to work year-round at even crummy jobs, and older adults willing to take summer jobs. 

 

We don't have much of an extra summer economy unless you're a life guard. 

[Jenny in Florida]

In my area, summer jobs are almost impossible to come by; there are just too many people willing to work year-round at even crummy jobs, and older adults willing to take summer jobs. 

 

We don't have much of an extra summer economy unless you're a life guard. 

 

We live in the Land of the Tourist. I know there are summer jobs out there. The question is whether we can get him hooked up with one that will work with his schedule and circumstances. 

[Hoggirl]

Happy to report ds got a job working as a residential counselor for a pre-college summer high school program on his campus. In addition to the residential aspect of his job, he will also be TA-ing for one of the courses taught in the program. I think he will enjoy it, as it is the same program he participated in the summer before his junior year of high school. Nice balance of work/play for the summer as it runs through the end of July, after which he will get to come home for a bit before classes start in the autumn. Happy for him!

[Sunshine State Sue]

Ugh.  Spoke with ds this week.  No one has contacted him from Chevron (not Exxon).  He says if it doesn't work out, he'll work the basketball camps rather than go back to factory.  I wanted to say go back to the factory because it pays better, but I didn't.  Dh would not agree with me.  There are six weeks between the end of basketball camps and the start of fall semester.  I am not a happy camper. 

 

I think I'll encourage him to contact the guy from Chevron with an update on the basketball season.  Express interest in internship again.  I doubt he'll do it though.  :banghead:

[Riverland]

DS is a freshman, with enough credits to be a junior (dual enrollment), but is a sophomore for the course sequences required for engineering.  His expected graduation date is spring of 2018.  He had lots of up & downs looking for a job this summer.

 

The first job he applied for was a research opportunity. He got the job. But he later learned the job did not get funded.

 

He then applied to more than 50 jobs in several different geographical areas where he could live with family. He got several phone interviews, but ultimately did not get any offers. One of the jobs he interviewed for specified that they required candidates with current junior or senior standing. It was definitely difficult to even find jobs to apply for that a current freshman or sophomore would have the "preferred qualifications."  Most (maybe all) of what he applied to he only met the "basic qualifications."

 

He went to the career fair on campus a few months ago. From that he got an on-site interview, but the company told him up-front "We've only ever hired juniors." He did not get the job.

 

Well, he now has an excellent internship lined up for this summer! His resume was registered with the school's career services, with permission to give it freely to any employer. Recently he got an email from career services saying that a particular company had selected him for an interview. (He has a 4.0 gpa so I'm sure that helped). Right after the interview, they called and offered him a summer internship. His choice of departments. At more than $20/hour. Flexible hours.

 

The hours & hours & hours of researching and applying for jobs led to nothing. Registering his resume with career services ultimately provided him with a fantastic first internship. What's interesting is this company did not even advertise any internship positions. Nothing on their website, any of the "find a job" websites, or even his college's career services website. It seems their strategy was to seek out who they wanted.

 

[angela in ohio]

Dd spent last summer on campus working through a research grant. This year she wanted to knock out either a corporate internship or a start-up, and then do the other next summer. She has been to two fairs and applied to at least a dozen places. Right now she has an offer in San Francisco, where she could live with family and so make some serious money. That offer came about because of someone she met at a hackathon. She is waiting to hear from two more places where she had second interviews, one likely and one unlikely. She will know for sure by this Friday. In her field, summer internships aren't an option, they seem to be a requirement; the good news is that they pay a shocking amount.

 

Meanwhile my second dd is picking a college, it's stressful around here right now. :(

 

ETA: The likely one - a start-up in Boston - has now offered her a position, so she has two offers to consider by Friday.

 

ETA (again): She accepted the job in San Francisco. She couldn't pass up the pay ($16k for 10 weeks.) We're doing the happy dance because she can pay tuition this year without help, and because she will be home for a few weeks before she starts.

Edited April 4, 2016 by angela in ohio

[theelfqueen]

Until a couple of weeks ago, DS considered himself class of 2017 and a junior... and was well on track for graduation (Physics major) BUT... the Air Force bumped him to the next fiscal year for Commissioning, he had known that for a while and thought he'd just pin on in October but for his career field training options it would be better to Pin On in May... BUT they'll pay him for another year of school, high demand Technical majors can do a 5 years ROTC scholarship... so, he just met with an advisor in the Economics department and figured out if it would work... and declared a second major. So he'll graduate one year later but with a Double Major (Physics and Economics, and a minor in Military Science)

 

CRAZY. 

 

He was looking intensively for an internship this summer but came out empty handed... and is now planning on starting a Green Lawn Care business with one of his ROTC buddy Roommates.

Edited April 3, 2016 by theelfqueen

[theelfqueen]

Oldest had to do field training while the rest of us were on a cruise to Alaska ... poor boy.