Globe & Mail Mentor Minute Article
- Posted by Colleen Clarke
- on Apr, 30, 2008
- in In the Media
- Blog No Comments.
Written by Colleen Clarke
Q: I have a lead on an internship in my field of study that I’m sure would be helpful to my eventual career, and may not come my way again, but it pays lower than my usual summer job – and I still need to pay for my education. What should I do?
The Advice
A: Lucky breaks don’t come along every day: If this is a rare find, it would be prudent of you to seriously consider taking it.
Internship programs are a godsend to students who value gaining experience in their field of study; they’re certainly a better choice than simply taking a summer job just to pay the bills. Ultimately, if you can work in your area of study while attending university or college, you’ll have a leg up on other job candidates after you graduate.
Students traditionally have opted for construction, food and beverage service, driving truck, or work for the government, among other summer jobs, because of the good remuneration. But few of these make you eligible for the engineering, accounting, human resources or marketing positions you may be applying for upon graduation.
It is easy to be enticed by the higher-paying jobs, especially when you owe everybody money. But opportunities to use and hone your skills, build your résumé and network with industry professionals are invaluable, and could carry you in good stead for the rest of your life. An internship is also a good chance to find a mentor in the field who can support and help your cause for future job opportunities.
This is an excellent time to set some priorities for yourself. Recognize that you will be paying off your loans slower than usual and you might have to live a bit more frugally than last year. It’s a small price to pay for bettering yourself with an internship program and preparing yourself for a better paying job as soon as you graduate. Making decisions like this one comes down to values and what is the most important action that is going to move you forward the most at this point in your life.
Ask yourself how quickly you want to be working in your field. The quicker you are employable, the more quickly you can pay off your loans. Internships make you more employable right out of school and they usually involve working for a top 500 company, not an easy feat to achieve while still in school. Sit down with a number cruncher to see if you really can make it through your next year with the salary the program will pay versus your usual summer job.
Find out if there might be a chance you could continue working for the company part-time once school convenes, or perhaps you can find a part-time job elsewhere during the school term to make up for the loss of summer income.
There are global and local internship programs available, some you pay to be involved in, some pay nothing and others pay a nominal stipend usually about $1,000 a month. For global internships go to www.globalexperiences.com/internships; for Canadian placements, go to www.careeredge.ca.
Career/Workplace Article Sign-up
Receive career and workplace articles by Colleen ClarkeCategories
Recent Posts
- Thinking about a job change?: Confront ageism, turn experience to your advantage
- As a female professional, I am earning more than a female peer for the same work. What should I do?
- The company is increasing my hours while offering no further pay. What are my options?
- A more junior co-worker in the same role is earning more than me. What can I do?
- I want to compete with my boss for a promotion. How should I handle it?
Recent Comments
- Shirley Doucette on Sitemap
Archives
- September 2018
- July 2018
- May 2018
- March 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- March 2017
- January 2017
- September 2016
- July 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- January 2015
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- December 2011
- August 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- September 2009
- January 2009
- November 2008
- September 2008
- July 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- January 2008
- May 2007
- January 2007
- November 2006
- September 2006
- July 2006
- January 2006
- November 2005
- October 2005
- August 2005
- July 2005
- May 2005
- January 2005
- December 2003
- January 2003
- November 2001
- September 2001
- June 2000
- May 2000
- April 1999