If you're a junior studying abroad this spring, a summer internship can be hard to find. But with a little extra effort, you can actually participate in both an international experience and the internship hunt.
If you already know where you would like to work, contact employers now, tell them about your situation, and offer to meet before you leave the country if it's convenient for their schedule; if not, you can always offer to speak over the phone. The same holds true for employers who recruit on campus. While you can't apply via EagleLink for internships posted there, you can certainly use the tool to find employers' contact information, as well as if the employers are conducting on-campus interviews in the spring. Don't be afraid to call or e-mail them to inquire about alternate arrangements - and you can always apply directly via a company's Web site.
It's important to remember that internships connected with on-campus recruiting are mainly in the accounting, finance, consulting, and business sectors, and the listings in EagleLink and the UCAN/Internship Exchange are by no means thorough. Many employers don't take the time to list their positions in our databases, so it's up to you to search for your dream job. If you put in the time, you can find thousands of impressive, unique positions fairly easily.
The Career Center Web site's How to Find an Internship page (www.bc.edu/offices/careers/internships/howto.html) is a useful tool for students beginning a search or just looking for ideas. In addition to providing links to the University's databases, the page also streamlines the relevant information you will need to find a job in any field. There's an A-Z index of industry information, instructions for logging onto sites like Internships.com and the Internship Series Online, and a link to the BC Internship Review, where you can read fellow students' appraisals of their experiences working for companies in the United States and around the world.
There are plenty of short-term opportunities to gain experience before you leave the country, as well. The Liberal Arts Network of the Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers is hosting "Road Trips to the Real World" - site visits to top companies like NBC Universal, Sirius Satellite Radio, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation - over winter break. The nationwide Career and Internship Connections Fairs (held in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Boston, New York, and San Francisco during the first week of January) are also worth a visit for the networking opportunities alone. Dozens of top employers will be at each fair searching for summer interns, and nothing beats a face-to-face meeting.
With a little luck, you can have the best of both worlds: an internship waiting for you after an immersion experience abroad.
2008 Woodie Awards
