Recently, I came across the work of your firm. After all, isn’t it better to get experience at businesses, not nonprofits? This will help you learn more and show your boss that you are motivated and a hard worker. Find out if family and friends know someone in a field that interests you. So far, we’ve focused on what we would classify as “warm” connections—people you or your child already know who can provide an introduction to a potential internship opportunity. Create a resume and be ready to talk about yourself, your interests, and what you’d like to learn at an internship. Typically you will have a supervisor who will act as your boss, assign you work, and make sure you feel comfortable at your internship. While doing your internship, you may learn that you don’t really enjoy a particular job that you thought you’d love, or you may discover a job you initially didn't find interesting is actually a great fit for you. Remember: it’s the guidance counselor’s job to be a resource for your child, so they shouldn’t hesitate to make sure that the counselor is doing that job to the fullest. If you don’t have enough work to do, ask your supervisor what other things you can help with. While we certainly encourage your child to explore the extracurricular activities at their school, internships offer opportunities that schools simply can’t provide. Either way, your child has learned a valuable lesson that can help inform their academic and career decisions once they enter college. As with reaching out to universities, your child will increase their odds of success here if they reach out to someone in the organization who has decision-making power. Unpaid internships can still have many benefits, and it’s a good idea to consider unpaid work now, while you’re likely still living with your parents and don’t have student loans to pay off than to wait until college or after college graduation to do your first (and likely unpaid) internship. Because internships are designed for people with little or no experience in a particular career field, most interns are students or recent college graduates. Think positive: … To find a student that looks beyond all of that will certainly make an impression. If people know you and like the work you do, they will be more willing to hire you one day, even if they move to a different company. Finding a high school internship can feel like an impossible task. Absolutely. Some, especially if they are a company that specializes in setting up unpaid internships, exist only to make money for themselves and may not be as concerned about the quality of the internships they are offering. You may also be able to get academic credit for an unpaid internship, so even if you aren’t earning money, your internship can count as a class on your high school transcript. If there is work you are particularly interested in, ask if you’ll have an opportunity to try it and about how much of your time will be spent on that duty. What ACT target score should you be aiming for? Yes, only halfway, maybe … “Start with your school counselor, and meet with them earlier in the year,” advised Anna Henry, a Los Angeles-based educator who’s guided high school students seeking tech internships. Doing an unpaid internship now can help you get a paid job or internship in the future because you will already have some experience. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points, How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer. We encourage your child to modify this template as necessary, since every case and person are unique. If you aren’t sure how you’ll be compensated, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification. There are multiple reasons to pursue an internship in high school; I've listed a few of the most important benefits below. Asking your interviewer or contact at the company, “What are the ways I will benefit from doing this internship?” or something similar, Your employer should provide a document that states. One of the best places to start when taking this approach is a local university. Leverage your professional network, and get hired. Just because an internship doesn't fill up your piggy bank doesn't mean you should automatically discount it. Because internships are designed for people with little or no experience in a particular career field, most interns are students or recent college graduates. However, we recommend doing an internship either during their sophomore year or the summer after it, as that will give them plenty of time to think about how to incorporate the experience into their college application. While this can seem like a disadvantage, it actually isn’t. Examples of benefits that aren’t monetary include receiving quality training, learning new skills, getting academic credit, getting a housing or transportation stipend, possibly being hired at the end of the internship, or being introduced to workers who may be able to help you find a job in the future. The bar for getting into elite universities keeps getting higher and higher. But this will give your child an idea of where to start and help them overcome the intimidation of sending what may well be their first professional correspondence. Our final suggestion for finding high school internships is one that your child may not have considered. That said, part-time jobs (even if they are unglamorous) can provide interesting talking points in your child’s admissions interview and could even be the subject of their personal statement. If they don’t, and you’re still interested in learning more about working there, ask if they offer shorter-term opportunities such as job shadowing. Ask your high school counselor and teachers for help. Many students (and parents) might overlook family members as a way to find an internship, but they can actually be a very useful resource. I recognize you’re incredibly busy but I’m writing to float my previous email to the top of your inbox. You likely won’t be able to decide everything you get to do. Ransom Patterson is the editor in chief at College Info Geek, a site that helps students study more effectively, become more productive, and get great jobs after graduation. Sad part of life, age does get in the way of things. After all, you are putting in a lot of hard work as an intern, and the company you work for should repay you with more than just a line on your resume. One of the most important benefits of doing an internship is that you’ll gain skills and experience that you can use for future jobs and classes. Because you will work for a company or organization and gain hands-on experience, two things will happen duties. But how exactly can your child should avoid reaching out to admissions committees view. Job shadowing may be just what you 're looking for parents think that prestigious experiences will help their children out. Department is unlikely to yield results interacting with engineers on a daily basis presents one-of-a-kind. Child can take when finding internships this way family, there are a lot of variation between internships person. Follow the tips in the field of that will certainly make an impression to intern in to local. 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