The summer after first-year is an exciting and amazing time! You get four months all to yourself for the first time: no school, no homework, and no obligations. Although this might seem like a dream come true initially, it can quickly lose its novelty without anything to fill your time with. Today I’m going to give you my best tips on securing an internship over the summer as a first-year and throughout your university career :)
First, it’s essential to know that securing a summer internship at a big company after your first year is rare! For example, for students in business, summer internships are a lot more common, but first-year internships are a lot less common for students in certain branches of applied science. You haven't translated your academic knowledge into transferable skills when you only have one year of university under your belt, and that’s okay! Instead, focus on your passions and interests if you want to find work over the summer. Pursuing pathways that give you a better grasp of the industry or profession you want to be involved with will have a huge payoff! Although, this doesn’t have to be exclusively through paid work. Consider volunteering, shadowing, or taking an entry-level position in your field of interest after your first year to build up your knowledge and usable skills. To find a position like that, I highly recommend reaching out to previous employers, volunteering supervisors, or even professors. Networking is one of the most relevant and valuable skills to learn in university, so taking advantage of the network you’ve already built after your first year will save you lots of time and effort.
Speaking of time, earlier is better when searching for an internship! Ideally, you should start looking and applying for internships before the winter break if you want a chance at the best of what there is to offer. Before this point, ensure that your resume is updated with any new work or volunteer experiences, skills, and, most importantly, your university program and expected graduation year. LinkedIn is a handy tool for finding internships; I would highly recommend creating an account if you haven’t already and updating it to represent you as a professional. It’s essentially your online resume!
Finally, if it seems like all of your peers and colleagues are securing internships after first year, please don’t worry! One of the most important things to remember is that everyone is different; someone else’s experience finding work might not be the same as your own, so don’t beat yourself down if you feel like you’re falling behind. Even if you don’t find an internship that works for you, keep your head up! There are plenty of opportunities for growth over the next three years of your education and beyond!
Best of luck,
Kristina Kalonomos
Second year Life Sciences student at Queen's University