What if you’re still searching for summer opportunities? You can still study abroad, get an internship/job, take the LSAT, do a pre-law summer program, participate in Illinois in Washington, or study abroad–if you get organized and apply quickly.
You may recall that we posted about looking for summer internships way back in August in this blog post. It may seem crazy to apply so early, but many jobs and internships require months of lead time. Here are some great resources and next steps to take if you are still looking for summer opportunities.
Illinois in Washington–summer applications are due Feb. 1, and you’ll need a resume review and 2 recommendations, so this deadline is pressing. Explore their website and find application details here.
Summer (or fall) study abroad— February 15 is the application deadline for most Summer 2018, Fall 2018, and Academic Year 2018-19 programs. Check out Study Abroad’s First Steps info here to begin identifying programs and applying for summer opportunities.
Taking the June LSAT? Registration is open here! Register early to get your preferred test site. This one will fill! Now is also the time to register for an LSAC fee waiver. See this week’s other blog post for more fee waiver info.
Summer pre-law programs–many application deadlines are in March and April. We posted about these in our internship newsletter and also in recent blog posts like this one.
Did you know that you can get a scholarship for working at an unpaid internship this summer? Apply for the Fred S. Bailey scholarship here, which provides a $1000 stipend for part-time internships and a $2500 stipend for full-time summer internships. Applications due April 12, so you still have time to find an internship before applying.
How to find Summer 2018 jobs and internships
- Explore our Internship Newsletter (over on our Compass page) which we posted over winter break–many of those deadlines are coming up in February and March!
- Subscribe to internship websites. You can set them to email you a weekly digest, or just email you when the kinds of internships that you designate become available. Some suggested sites are listed below.
- Use Handshake. The Career Center switched from I-Link to Handshake last summer. Click on the link below, log in, set up your profile, explore, and set it to contact you when internships you qualify for become available. Check back regularly.
- Attend Career Fairs. Did you know that most campus career fairs, like the Business Career Fair and the ACES Career Fair, are open to all students? And, many of those employers will have both job and internships available. Mark your calendars for the upcoming Business Career Fair and the Just-In-Time All Illini Career Fair this spring. You can find a list of all campus career fairs on Handshake (link below). Check out the Career Center’s workshops on preparing for the fairs.
- Create or perfect your resume. The Career Center has numerous opportunities to have your resume reviewed–or attend a resume basics workshop–every week. Click here to see their events. You’ll need a resume for the rest of your life, so the sooner you start building these skills, the better! Aim to have a good quality resume ASAP to avoid delay applying for the opportunities you find.
- Calendar it. NOW–right now–go to your Gcal, ical, or good old fashioned planner, and schedule a few hours each weekend for Internships.(Use this time to check internship listings and prepare your applications.) When you find an internship listing, add that due date to your Gcal/ical/planner too. Finding and applying for internships and jobs is not done in an afternoon–it really helps to be organized and persistent.
What internship websites should you use? Here are the Top 5 Internship Sites that we have found to be helpful.
Handshake–Here is where companies post their opportunities for Illinois students. You can also find out about upcoming company info sessions and career/internship fairs.
Internships.com–Continuously updated nationwide internship listings
Idealist.com–Nonprofit internship offerings
Fastweb–Extensive internship listings (click on “Career Planning”)
USAJobs.gov–for federal government jobs and internships. Tip: The website gogovernment.org has a nice overview explaining how to get started and what to look for.
