Summer internships help students decide their future
May 15, 2019
As students continue the path of high school, many of them, especially upper classmen, are starting to explore and research jobs and careers for the future, one of these explorations being summer internships. From the experience of an internship, students can gain knowledge of a certain job and see what it is like, therefore helping them with their decision.
Summer internships are not that popular among teenagers, with not much information about them and not enough time. Most students spend their summers looking for jobs that pay and are relaxing before the next school year begins.
Most students are not able to gather information about summer internships due to the lack of advice from the school. Few students receive knowledge of internships, and those who do gather the information from their counselors.
“I don’t think the school offers enough opportunities, and if they do I’m not aware of it. I think that’s something that can definitely increase because I think there is so many students that would be fantastic at internships,” history teacher Matt Kiedrowski said.
Of those who are able to accept opportunities, they are able to obtain experience and more knowledge of a certain career option. Summer internships allow for help in the process of students trying to decide what they want to go into in the future.
“It could get you a feel for what you want to do after high school, and it makes the choice easier,” junior Ellie Gruber said.
History teacher Matt Kiedrowski gives junior Serena Hiveley advice on summer internships. He recommended doing one in high school for more experience in a certain job field.
People who have completed an internship agree that it is beneficial for being hired after college, or just in the future. With more experience and knowing their career decision earlier in their life, students have the advantage of more job opportunities and options.
“I’ll have more experience and I’ll know what I’m doing, so I might get hired a little faster right out of college,” Gruber said.
Gruber will be able to receive experience from doing a program that her counselor set up for her. She gets the opportunity of shadowing a veterinarian after schools for a couple of hours.
“It’s a fun experience, I guess, to know the every day stuff that the vet has to go through,” Gruber said.
Opportunities are available all around the Twin Cities, whether it is a tutor for chemistry and computer programming, a youth ambassador for a big organization or a customer service representative. Students can acquire skills and training that will be helpful in the future.
“It’s easy if you just talk to the people you want to do an internship for and just work something out with them,” Gruber added.
Furthermore, having a summer internship is considered to be important for most people.
“They give you experience and they help you figure out what you’re going to do in the future,” junior Maddie Smith added.
Although internships in high school are not common due to the toughness of getting accepted to one or getting information about one, more high school students are learning more about them. A lot of people recommend them because of the experience you gain and to “see how jobs are like and get a feel for what they’ll be in for when they graduate college,” Gruber said.
I’ll have more experience and I’ll know what I’m doing, so I might get hired a little faster right out of college.
— Ellie Gruber
“It would bring the outside world and make what we’re doing in school more relevant,” Kiedrowski added.
With previous experience of taking an internship in college for his political science major, Kiedrowski suggest that more students take a summer internship. He agrees that it will only be helpful the decision-making process of finding a career.
“Be aggressive, start early, develop relationships to teachers, parents and friends of anything that you have interest in. Even if you do a shadow, a job shadow, meaning that you go there for a day, that’s the first step to potentially an internship, building relationships now, in high school, even if an internship doesn’t happen. Then in college, when you do apply, it’s not the first time,” Kiedrowski said.
Students are able to receive more knowledge of summer internships and opportunities, such as job shadowing, from their counselors and possibly teachers who have previous experiences.
“It’s the closest thing to having a real job and can mirror the expectations, the stress and everything that would go along with the punctuality that you’ll need, such as the organization and the teamwork that you need at real job,” Kiedrowski said.
