I’m sure you’ve noticed the recent influx of Instagrams and Facebook statuses that read something along the lines of, “So blessed for the exciting and amazing opportunity to intern for (insert company here) this summer!!!! How did I get so lucky?!” We all know how you got so lucky: you worked your butt off and spent more hours researching and sending in cover letters than you did studying for the ACT and applying for college. Usually, I’m very against social media boasting, but I respect these individuals for making it through the rigorous and frustrating process that comes with the grand search for an internship.Getting an internship has become THE thing to do this semester. My question is why?? Why is everyone so obsessed with going through such a stressful process for an exhausting experience?! Is it because it looks good on our resumes? Could it be that an internship is required for us to graduate? It might just be that we are coming to that age where an internship is expected of us, but it is trending so hard that the word “internship” makes most of us shake in our sandals.
We all might have different reasons, but one thing is for sure: internships are the latest campus trend. We have seen them transform from a cool thing to put on our resume, to a want, and now we are seeing them turn into a NEED.
The way people talk/Instagram about these internships make them seem so glamorous. For example, “I am spending a whole summer interning in New York!” Or, “I got an offer to intern for [insert well known company here] this summer!” If one of these sounds like something your BFF has told you, allow me to read you the small print before you turn green with envy. If you read one of those statements and thought to yourself, “Uh oh, that’s me,” keep in mind that #1) I am still impressed with you and #2) this article still applies to you.
There is a list of things you want to do your best to avoid as you embark on your summer internship. This list is what I refer to as “the small print." The small print includes the details of your so called glamorous life as an intern that the company whispers, “forgets” to mention, or flat out knows is unappealing to any human with decent standards.
The following are things you want to watch out for, ask about, be aware of, or completely refuse to partake in:
1. Getting Coffee -- To ensure your summer is spent in the office rather than at Starbucks, my advice is to spill it on them the first day... I’d be willing to bet they won’t be asking you to get coffee again.
2. Long commute to work -- Whether you are walking, taking the bus, using your own gas, or taking the subway, transportation is something to be aware of when choosing your internship. I promise you don’t want to wake up in the summer an hour and a half earlier than you would if your internship were closer.
3. Living condition -- Those glamorous New York and Los Angeles internships typically come with a big price tag. Sure, your internship might be paid, but minimum wage does not pay for a penthouse apartment overlooking the city or glitzy nights at the Ritz. It might pay for a small apartment with a pullout couch.
4. Observing -- If you are giving up your summer for an internship, you sure as heck won’t want to spend the three months watching people work. Make sure your employers know that you want to be given tasks and responsibility.
5. Money -- This is important to some, but unimportant to others. A lot of internships are unpaid because they can be. Other internships are low paid because they can be. Make sure you know which one yours is, and if you are okay with that before accepting.
If you are one of those social media boasters, a big congrats goes to you. If you are still in the searching process, I bid you good luck. If you currently find yourself in neither situation, know that I am the one green with envy.