While internships are traditionally part of the college experience, high school students are increasingly looking to take on internships as a way to enhance resumes and college applications while trying on a career.
High school internships are gaining in popularity, says Benjamin Caldarelli, co-founder of Princeton College Consulting, a New Jersey-based educational consulting company.
“High school students want to work somewhere that interests them and potentially make what they feel is a more meaningful contribution,” Caldarelli says. “They see internships as an enrichment activity and opportunity to make an impact rather than simply trading time for a little money.”
Traditional part-time and summer jobs can provide teens with customer service experience and other workforce-ready skills. Internships, by contrast, focus on longer-term career exploration, says Tandy Caraway, an educator and college strategist and founder of CollegeMode Academy. Students gain real-world experience as they spend time shadowing professionals and being mentored.
[READ: The Rise of High School Internships.]
5 Tips for Finding an Internship
Though it can be challenging to find a high school internship, there are steps that teens can take to find the right opportunity.
Here are five tips for landing a solid internship in high school:
Identify your interests.
To find the right internship, start with a list of your interests, talents and passions, says Pierre Huguet, chief executive officer and co-founder of H&C Education, an educational consultancy focused on college admissions. “Play to your strengths,” he says. “Which academic subjects and extracurricular activities come naturally to you? What qualities or abilities do your classmates, coaches, teachers, mentors, friends and family value most in you?”
Don’t be afraid to explore interests outside of school like video games, street art or building robots, Huguet says. “Often, the things we love doing are those we are naturally good at,” he says. “In high school, however, your passion for baking or skateboarding may not be fully appreciated by your teachers. Your internship should be an opportunity to explore things you are truly passionate about and can’t learn in school. With a little creativity, you can always find a way to pursue impressive projects at the intersection of your talents and passions.”
Reach out to personal connections.
Getting hired has a lot to do with who you know, and you’re never too young to start using a personal network, says Jordan Matuszewski, an instructor at Tip-Top Brain, a learning center in New York. Networking is a great way to find your first high school internship, so reach out to parents, teachers and coaches and take advantage of social media. “Let your parents and extended family know you’re looking for a position,” he says. “You could also provide them with your resume and a sense of the position you’re looking for.”
Matuszewski also suggests reaching out to high school guidance counselors, who can sometimes offer helpful advice and connections. Businesses often contact high school guidance offices directly to advertise internship opportunities, and your counselor can connect you with former students who interned locally.
Take advantage of online resources.
Googling “how to find a high school internship” will yield thousands of paid ads and vague work opportunities that might not provide what you’re looking for, says Alix Coupet, lead counselor at Empowerly, a college admissions service. “There’s a difference between ‘computer science internships’ and ‘actuary internships,’ and public health opportunities are not the same as biological research opportunities,” he says. “The internet is best used not as a starting point for finding an internship, but as a way to maximize what you already know about what you’re looking for.”
Students can use sites like Google or Yelp to learn more about local companies they are familiar with, their local workforce program, and their county’s government agencies, Caraway says. “LinkedIn is also a great place for students to network and connect with possible intern sites,” she says.
Craft an elevator pitch.
Put together a brief introductory message, or elevator pitch, before reaching out to companies. An elevator pitch allows students to quickly relay pertinent information to the people they’re contracting for opportunities, Caraway says. People will be able to quickly determine how to best help the student and identify where they should be placed.
Practice your elevator pitch with friends and family members until it becomes more natural, and don’t be discouraged if you don’t land an internship on the first go. “Internship placements can be competitive, and space is limited,” says Toby Walker, vice president of BASIS Independent Schools. “Be prepared to make the pitch multiple times and to reflect on your delivery and refine the pitch over time.”
Caldarelli suggests being what he calls a “go-giver.” “Instead of just asking for an opportunity, which creates work because someone will have to train and monitor you, try to anticipate a need and offer a completed solution,” he says.
Carefully evaluate internship opportunities.
When evaluating potential internships, students should make a list of things they would like to learn, Caraway says. Include elements that are necessary to make decisions about your career path, as well the types of professionals you want to access. “Avoid internships that are one-sided, benefitting the company only,” she says. “A great opportunity will include several things on your list. Students should also make sure they know the expectations of the employer and can meet them, because they will likely want a letter of recommendation later. Even though the student will be doing beginner tasks, it’s important that they are exposed to the entire career path so that they can see what the span of a career in their chosen industry looks like in real life.”
[READ: Is a ‘Lab School’ Right for Your Child?]
High School Internship Opportunities
It’s important to begin intern work early, says Ourania Liandrakis, founder of Tip-Top Brain. Students often wait until their senior year to seek out internships, but this doesn’t leave them time to explore different options.
“If you took a position your freshman year of high school and hated it, you have three more years to try on other internships,” she says. “Ultimately, learning where you best fit in the professional world will serve you dividends down the line.”
Here is a sample of internship programs, both virtual and in-person, and resources available to high schoolers:
— Chegg Internships lists internship opportunities in several major cities, including Atlanta, Austin, Boston and Chicago.
— BRAINYAC connects high school students in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx with Columbia University neuroscientists for research-based summer internships in working laboratories.
— The Met High School Internship Program offers museum internships to students who live in or attend high school in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut.
— The Microsoft Discovery Program is a paid opportunity for graduating high school seniors who live within 50 miles of the company’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington to gain insight into tech careers.
— Smithsonian Internships, run by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., offers a variety of programs for high school students at various Smithsonian museums.
— The Stanford Compression Forum Summer Internship offers high schoolers and community college students the chance to complete multi-disciplinary research projects over the summer.
— The New-York Historical Society’s Student Historian Internship Program allows students entering 10th, 11th, or 12th grade to conduct research and tell stories using the society’s vast resources.
— The Library of Congress offers a wide variety of internships in and around Washington, D.C., some of which are open to high school students, as well as a paid work-study program.
— Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh has a limited number of unpaid internships open to high schoolers at its four museums.
— The Bank of America Student Leader Program connects about 300 juniors and seniors with nonprofits in more than 100 communities. The paid internships are combined with a national leadership summit.
— NASA High School Internships offer research and experiential learning at NASA facilities in Maryland, New York, Virginia and West Virginia.
Searching for a school? Explore our K-12 directory.
More from U.S. News
Exploring Private High Schools in New York City
Exploring Private High Schools in San Francisco
Exploring Private High Schools in Los Angeles
How to Find a High School Internship originally appeared on usnews.com
