The T. Rowe Price Career and Innovation Center is offering resources for students searching for summer internships and jobs this semester.
Catherine Barrios, a career coach at the Career Center, said that students should start looking for internships as early as they can. “I’d say two to three months [in advance] is the latest they should start applying,” she said.
She also said that one of the best things a student can do to prepare themselves for the application process is to have their resume reviewed. “[Students] should definitely work on tailoring their resumes so that it is specific to the internship they’re applying to.”
Another tip Barrios offered is to practice interviewing. “The more they can practice the better,” she said.
The Career Center provides virtual and in-person career advising appointments in which students can have their resumes and cover letters reviewed, practice interviewing and get help searching for internships.
The Career Center also offers many online and self-paced resources on their website. Barrios says Career Center coaches like herself are always developing new resources for students such as guides, new website content and articles.
Barrios recommends that students use job search websites like Handshake, LinkedIn and idealist and search for jobs on the career pages of companies’ websites.
“Handshake is our biggest platform for finding internships. Students and alumni have access to it, and we get thousands of internships posted each month on Handshake, locally, remotely and all around the world,” Barrios said.
Handshake also provides information about events happening on campus such as career fairs, career panels and networking events.
However, students should be careful to avoid illegitimate internships while they are searching these websites. Barrios said that there are a few key signs of an illegitimate internship, such as asking for money to apply, asking for sensitive information and sending recruitment emails that require students to click on links.
She recommends students verify the legitimacy of internships on the company’s page. Real internships will be listed on third-party websites and on the company website.
Companies offer a range of paid and unpaid internships. Barrios explained that “the goal is to get a paid internship,” but there are a few things to consider about both options.
“Unpaid [internships] you might be working in your industry of interest, paid [internships] you might be more limited with opportunities,” she said.
Students should also keep in mind that any type of internship will benefit them professionally. “[An internship] counts as professional experience, so [students] can … use their internship as a professional reference for future jobs,” Barrios said.
Students can also get internships that qualify them for college credit. Barrios recommends students contact the head of their department or speak with their academic advisor to determine whether they are eligible to receive credit for their internship.
“Each college has a specific person in charge of accepting applications for class credit and their own requirements, so it definitely is a case-by-case basis,” she said.
The Career Center, located in UC 114, is open in-person from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. It is also open remotely from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays. Students can book an appointment with the Career Center by visiting Starfish or emailing the Career Center at [email protected].
