What to Do if You Didn’t Land that Summer Internship

In your younger years, summer vacation was just that – a vacation. But now, as young adults, high school and college students alike use their summers to gain valuable work experience in the real world through internships. As summer quickly approaches, your chances of landing that summer internship grow smaller and smaller. If you have lost hope of finding one this year, don’t worry, there are other ways for you to gain that valuable work experience over your summer break.

One great way to earn some money while also gaining professional experience is to register with staffing agencies to find some temporary work for the summer. Temp jobs allow you to work for competitive hourly wages in professional office environments. Staffing agencies hire college students who have not completed their degrees and place them in administrative, clerical, and junior-level temp opportunities, even if they do not have much office experience.

Another option you have to gain valuable work experience is to volunteer with an organization in your field. While they may not be able to hire you on as a paid intern, plenty of companies will gladly welcome the free help in exchange for helping you gain more work experience. This is not a good option for students looking to gain some money over the summer, but if you’re financially stable and not strapped for cash, this could be the right choice for you.

Lastly, consider signing up for some summer courses at your school or a local university close to home (if that’s were you’ll be). The additional credits could go towards advancing your degree, helping you graduate early, or even lead to you picking up a minor degree or certification relevant to your desired field.

If you weren’t able to land a summer internship this year, don’t worry! There are plenty of other ways to spend your free time that could help you gain valuable knowledge and experience, which will surely benefit you post-graduation!

WAI Staff

Whitman Associates is a professional staffing agency serving businesses and job seekers in the Washington, D.C. area. Since 1972, we’ve been dedicated to matching highly qualified candidates with a wide variety of temporary, temp-to-hire and permanent positions. We prioritize the needs of both our clients and candidates to ensure successful, lasting relationships.