Summer internships are important, not necessary


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At USC, a summer internship for a prospective employer is a coveted title, even if it is unpaid or pays minimum wage. Yet, summer jobs provide just as many opportunities and experiences as a summer internship, if not more. A recent survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers revealed that 37 percent of students who had completed an unpaid internship were hired — a rate that is comparable to the 35 percent of students who had not had an internship.

However, at a university like USC — where students claw at any open opportunities to bolster their future career success — it’s a daunting prospect to step out of the internship hunt and consider a different option: a summer job at home. Internship experiences are presented as an exclusive foot in the door for aspiring professionals. Moreover, the internship pool has become highly competitive: In 2014, just over 1,000 coveted positions at Morgan Stanley saw 90,000 applicants hoping to gain an advantage in the competitive workforce. While internship job duties have improved from the archetypal coffee runs to more challenging contributions, holding off from applying for a summer internship and dedicating that time to a summer job can be equally beneficial.

Though summer jobs can come with their fair share of menial tasks, students can glean transferable skills from job experiences. For example, customer service jobs foster crucial interpersonal, managerial and communication skills. And a summer job might pay more than an unpaid internship or an internship that pays minimum wage in a city with a steep living cost. Some internships also offer stipends at the end of the period, which require students to have the financial capabilities to commit to the position before receiving  payment for their work.

While some students might receive paid gigs, many internship placements are located in urban centers with high costs of living. According to analysis by real estate website Zumper, in 2017, the median monthly lease rate for a small, one-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles is $2,000. And, though students tend to sublease and share living spaces, inflated housing prices only worsen students’ financial situations. In addition, internships usually do not offer housing for students; students have to find their own housing or commute, if the distance is not too strenuous. With a summer job, students would be making the money they need at an hourly rate and would have time for other crucial tasks, such as polishing up their resume or taking community college courses. Students can also spend time working as a field-specific volunteer, or committing to purposeful side projects, which will contribute to their portfolio or resume.

Students should recognize the benefits of a summer internship, but realize it is not crucial to their career success. Instead, students should be more encouraged to take a local available job. Career coach Emily Porschitz Benson said in USA Today College, “There is no proof with the students I coach that  having an internship provides a greater learning experience than working as a bartender, server, truck driver, babysitter or dance instructor.”

Indeed, some of the world’s most successful individuals worked odd, often unglamorous, jobs. Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, for example, worked his first job at a concession stand at Yankee Stadium. Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer first worked a summer job as a grocery store clerk, picking up crucial skills from her job. In an interview with Fortune, Mayer said, “I also learned a lot about family economics, how people make trade-offs, and how people make decisions on something fundamental, like how to eat.”

The path to career success is not always through a pipeline of internships with prominent companies. Many students view their summer breaks as a crucial time to make progress for their hopeful careers, but students must recognize that internships do not always equate to success, and vice versa. If students want to use their summer vacations to gain a valuable edge, they must simply be productive with their three months of time — whether it be through a summer job, internship, volunteer experience or even global travel.