Internships prove essential for jobs after college
Internships are becoming a key component for students when they apply for jobs after college.
Career advice · A student during the February 2011 career fair talks to a prospective employer. Internships have been on the rise, and summer jobs spiked. - Chris Pham | Daily Trojan
The youth labor force, defined as all people between the ages of 16 and 24 working or actively looking for work, grew to 22.7 million in July 2011, an 11.8 percent increase from last year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Aug. 24.
Though the youth labor force usually expands during the summer, as young adults seek summer employment and internships, this summer’s spike is the largest since the recession hit in late 2007.
Carl Martellino, associate dean for student affairs and executive director of the Career Center, attributed the influx of young adults in the labor market to an increased emphasis on internships as a gateway to full-time jobs.
“Over the past several years there has been an increase in students seeking internships,” Martellino said. “Students are understanding with more clarity that internships are leading people into full time positions.”
With an increasingly competitive job market, Elizabeth Adabale, a junior majoring in health promotion and disease prevention, said she feels pressured to find jobs early.
“I think it is great that more and more students are working,” Adabale said. “But when there aren’t enough jobs for people who want to work, that’s when it becomes a problem.”
Some students also feel the pressure to find a job to become financially independent. Monish Tyagi, president of Undergraduate Student Government, said in an email, however, students believe summer jobs are critical for their resumes.
“There are several students who work out of financial necessity, but I also believe that the uncertainty in the economy and job market has caused students to think that if they do not spend their summers working, it will ultimately be detrimental to their future success,” Tyagi said.
Other students believe taking classes is a better use of their time and provides better preparation for careers after college.
“I don’t feel guilty because I took class instead of working,” said Nakul Joshi, a sophomore majoring in computer engineering and computer science.
Aside from the uncertainty and pressure, students might be motivated to find a job to further their education.
“I want an internship because my education would be relevant,” Joshi said. “It would be nice to use the things I learn at work.”
I remember when a college degree used to be the key to getting a job. I guess now, you need an internship. Huh. I don’t really like the idea of USC encouraging their students to work for free, but if the USC degree can’t get people paid work, well, Students will have to do what they need to, to survive.
At least USC has a free program to help students get an internship. I hear other schools make their students pay for a course, to get an internship. The Students pay, so they can work for free! isn’t that crazy? Paying tuition and a course fee to work for someone else, for free? Some might say that is a …racket. There may be truth to that, if you think about it, but like I said, at least USC students don’t have to worry about that. Thanks to their parents and tough alumni, USC students don’t have to pay any such extra fees, just so they can work for free.