College students need to get creative and adapt this summer
What do you do when your summer internship is canceled?
From CSU News — excerpt from an article on CNBC.com by summer interns Kelsey Johnson (University of Southern California) and Nicole Dienst (Colgate University). Read the full article.
Instead of just sitting home and feeling defeated about a canceled internship, career advisors and hiring managers suggest that students figure out how to use their skills in a new way, get creative and adapt. That could mean taking an online course to build your skillset, launching your own project, or looking for freelance opportunities — both in your target field and in other fields. Volunteer opportunities are also a great option to continue building your skillset, get a line on the resume, and help out a community in need.
The coronavirus pandemic caused a lot of employers to rethink or pause their hiring plans. That left many college students scrambling to figure out what to do as summer internships were canceled and job offers rescinded or postponed.
More than one-third of college students had their internship canceled, according to a survey of students in April by career platform Handshake. Another 24 percent said their internships were still going to happen but would now be virtual, which poses its own challenges for networking and impressing the boss.
“When students are continuing to learn even during trying times and leveraging innovative programs to do so, it shows they are resilient and resourceful, which are valuable traits that employers look for,” said Tracy Keogh, chief human resources officer at tech giant HP.
CNBC’s “College Voices 2020” is a series written by CNBC summer interns from universities across the country about coming of age, launching new careers and job hunting during a global pandemic. They’re finding their voices during a time of great social change and hope for a better future. What money issues are they facing? How are they navigating their student loans? How are they getting work experience, networking and applying for jobs when so many opportunities have been canceled or postponed? How important is diversity and a company’s values to Gen Z job seekers? This series will be published every Tuesday and Thursday.