Search for Summer Internships in Progress

The beginning of winter at Boston College also marks the commencement of the quest taken on by many CSOM students to find the perfect summer internship. Amy Donegan, CSOM liaison and associate director of the Career Center, said that students searching for internships for next summer are bombarding her office. "So many students going abroad in the spring have been scrambling to get internship plans for summer in place before they go overseas," Donegan said.

James Blake, CSOM '10, said his internship was one of the most rewarding and beneficial experiences he had while an undergraduate. Through e-mails sent out by accounting professors and the CSOM department itself, Blake learned about a two-day retreat at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Boston. "I think all 40 to 50 people in the program found it extremely interesting and I believe virtually everyone was offered an internship," Blake said.

Apart from providing him with a job offer during the last week of work in August, the experience helped Blake gain clarity on post-college plans. "The internship was beneficial because it opened my eyes and helped me realize that I will not want to be an accountant with PwC for more than a few years. It helped me realize that I should plan for a future outside the accounting world, while providing me with a head-start within it."
Getting an internship is not always just about having the best GPA, resume, or cover letter. "I can't stress this enough – one of the most important factors can be connecting to alumni and networking with as many contacts as possible, whether this includes teachers, advisors, past employers, or family friends," Donegan said. One way to interact with alumni is through one of the various internship networking events or company information sessions that the Career Center hosts. "Many of these events actually do not have very high attendance and students can become ecstatic when an alumnus gives them a card and tells them they will specifically help them out," Donegan said.

Above all else, Donegan said students should take a note from alumni with whom she often interacts if they want to get the most out of the internship. "Successful alumni always tell me and students they talk to that they should follow their passion and whatever makes them excited, instead of just doing something because everyone else is," Donegan said.

Chris Bleck, CSOM '11, worked unpaid at an internship with Axa Equitable this past summer, an appointment he found through a friend, Alex Spaeth, CSOM '11. This school year, Bleck moved over to a paid internship at Highland Financial, a boutique firm that is closely related to Axa Equitable. "I'm not too sure what I'm doing next summer, but hopefully after shooting out my resume over Christmas break, I'll have offers from Citi, Goldman, or Barclays," Bleck said. He said he "hopes to be in a position where I have to choose between which offer to accept rather than hoping that any firm takes me."
Rick Mackesy, CSOM '11, has taken a similar approach, working this semester at a small accounting firm in Newton called Designer Advantage, which keeps track of the finances of interior design firms. In regard to next summer, Mackesy is also unsure. "I'm interviewing with a few accounting firms right now, but the financial firms don't start interviews until late January so I'm still up in the air about what I want to do," Mackesy said.

 "I think it's harder for sophomores because they're giving jobs to seniors and internships to juniors," said Sam Sterling, CSOM '12. Sterling has so far looked at some listings in internship databases as well as offers in CSOM departmental e-mails, but says the search will not rev up until second semester. Although competition may be fierce, an internship is currently his top choice for next summer. "From what I can tell, most CSOM students try to get internships unless they already have a decent job with a decent paycheck," Sterling said. But, as Sterling said, "It will be hard for everyone in this economy, especially being a sophomore."

"It is definitely beneficial and important for students who wish to work in specific areas such as banking and communications to get an internship," Donegan said. Companies actually prefer to streamline their hiring practices by directly converting interns into employees, Donegan said. These firms can save money by running internship workshops for younger students instead of recruiting seminars for seniors. "For example, two summers ago, Barclays had seven interns, each of whom began working full-time for the company the very next year," Donegan said.

"Although students may have a degree from a competitive school such as Boston College, internships can help them build their practical portfolio and bridge the gap between school smarts and real world experience, which is something companies love to see," Donegan said.