Internships may be canceled, but summer 2020 doesn’t have to be

The coronavirus has turned the world upside down. In some way or another, it has touched every part of society, and at least for now, normal life is a thing of the past. Job and internship opportunities this summer have and will continue to be affected, and many will likely be canceled due to enforced social distancing and travel restrictions. All the hours in the fall spent researching internships, polishing up resumes and filling out applications may seem like they were for nothing.

Many undergraduate students feel pressured to find the perfect summer position that will not only look good, but will be a valuable learning experience and reference as they begin to search for full-time positions. Regardless of whether a student secured a prestigious summer gig and whether or not it is happening as planned, students should feel proud of what they’ve achieved and know that their work has not gone to waste. 

It’s undoubtedly frustrating to have worked all year to have an exciting opportunity lined up for the summer and then have it fall through at the last minute. It’s just as infuriating to scramble to apply for last-minute positions because employers aren’t sure what the state of the world will be like come summer. Even though it’s still at least a month away, all of USC’s abroad summer programs are canceled, most on-campus offerings have moved online and many students will now be interning for companies remotely. 

While many summer plans may not come to full fruition, students have still gained valuable experience through the internship and job process. Consciously or not, students were able to improve their resume-writing skills, practice crafting professional emails, become pros at filling out applications, improve organizational habits and get more comfortable in an interview setting — all of which are valuable tools for life. 

Many companies have had to make tough decisions about the summer and whether students will really be gaining insight by working remotely. If an internship has been moved online, it’s obviously less than ideal. Students will miss out on the immersive experience of the work environment, such as making friends with other interns and becoming a part of the daily flow of the workplace. 

However, there are still many valuable takeaways from any type of work experience, and companies that have decided to go digital have been proactive about ways to keep student interns engaged and learning. Hewlett-Packard Enterprise plans to send interns equipment so that they can connect virtually. Other companies are changing requirements and developing more conducive online learning formats, and there are many services that will connect motivated students with entirely virtual work opportunities. 

If an internship has been canceled, students should take that go-getter attitude they demonstrated during their internship interviews, and apply it to summer. While spending free time lounging at the beach might not happen in 2020, managing time is entirely up to the individual. Students should take a well-deserved break from their hectic school schedule (let’s face it, even though classes have been moved to Zoom, most end-of-the-semester assignments have remained). 

With no school or job to provide structure, students can and should still aim for some level of productivity. With the right attitude, they can access their creativity and spend time reflecting, thinking and inventing. One productive use of your time could be to build up useful skills for next internship season — learn a basic type of code, take an Adobe course, practice writing skills and if all else fails, the Duolingo owl is always waiting for you. 

Unfortunately, students have no control over plans that were canceled or changed. While there are many benefits to having an internship, and it’s likely that most employers in the future won’t blame anyone for their lack thereof during the summer of 2020. No one knows what the world will be like even two weeks from now, so summer feels like an indefinite, timeless, unpredictable void. 

Having or not having an internship does not define the worth of a student, especially during these uncertain times. Whether or not an internship has been affected, canceled, is going on as planned or didn’t exist to begin with, students should not forget to be proud of themselves for all the work they’ve put in.