Comments on: Friday smorgasbord: Summer jobs

By: furnace

furnace — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:05:09 +0000

It is good to get some social experience from summer job, it is to accumulate your capital for future career.

By: emily xyz

emily xyz — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 01:57:28 +0000

That "just call someone you want to work for" tip is right on — I've gotten some of my best jobs that way, from an internship at Punk magazine in 1977 to an interview w/ a local cake bakery just last week. (No opening yet, but the interview went great!)

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Thanks for posting this, Emily. It's so much easier to try something new after people weigh in with real-life success stories.

Good luck with the bakery.

-Penelope

By: Kristen

Kristen — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 19:39:06 +0000

I graduate in May 2007 and I would have loved to know about the opportunities you mentioned! I am a future entrepreneur, and the social entrepreneurship program would have been one I would have loved to try! I had a hard time finding a job in an area I want, but I just heard back that I am accepted into the graduate program of my dreams and they require a summer internship in order to complete the program. I agree that is always helps! My fiance' spent a semester and summer working for a company on coop, and now he has job offers coming in left and right thanks to his experience!

By: Recruiting Animal

Recruiting Animal — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 17:42:09 +0000

Some smart people are good communicators. But many aren't. If you plan on bugging someone at work, you'd better practice a short pitch a hundred times so you can leave it effortlessly on voice mail. You should also be able to effortlessly tell any stranger what you do in an easy to understand, logical manner proceeding from the general to the specific. You should also be able to explain the processes you follow to get things done.

I just interviewed two smart people with post-grad degrees for the same job. One was an exceptional interviewee and told me everything I needed to know in an orderly manner. The other person was very interesting to speak to but couldn't relate all the bases he covered in planning an annual strategy for his area of responsibility. And my project manager told me to put him on the backburner.

By: Susan

Susan — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 17:26:23 +0000

Great advice as always, Penelope. It's better do a little advance work than get stuck making tacos in the mall food court (trust me on this). My brother has had huge success by doing #3: his new mentor not only offered him a paid summer internship in DC, but also offered to share his corporate apartment and is helping him land an even better internship this summer. Now he's a visiting professor at little brother's university and asked him (a sophomore) to write the syllabus for his graduate-level course. There's someone who knows how to leverage his political connections! Men generally feel comfortable making the ask, but many women struggle with this, wondering "why would so-and-so want to help me?" and "what do I have to offer?" Time to step up!

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So true about men being better at asking than women. So here's something to think about – if you are a woman, don't worry about asking too many times or asking for too much. The odds are so low that you are doing that. Really. Also, you look strong and focused when you ask a friend or associate for help to get something you want. If you never ask for help, you deny yourself that extra moment of looking like a winner.

-Penelope

By: Ann

Ann — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 14:00:44 +0000

Great tips and information, Penelope! Have already sent the link to my (college student) son who is already working to try and line up something interesting for next summer.