Internships and work-based learning roles provide unmatched opportunities for students to get first-hand learning experiences that are not possible in the classroom. These experiences allow students to try out a particular field of interest and see if it is actually–rather than just theoretically–a good fit. They provide opportunities for students to develop and hone communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills more thoroughly and deeply than can happen in a simulated environment. They allow students to connect with professionals in a field who can serve to guide and inform future decision-making. And, they allow students to put their learning to use in a real-world setting, helping them to understand the purpose and potential applications. 

Despite the incredible value of these kinds of experiences, many secondary students are simply too busy during the school year to commit a sizable number of hours to an internship or work-based learning opportunity. From dense school schedules to coursework demands to extracurricular sports and other activities to service jobs for spending money, many do not feel like they have extra time. Because of this, summer–with its open schedule and reduced commitments–can be a perfect time for students to have these kinds of learning experiences. 

Now is the Time to Start Preparing for Summer

Though summer still feels far away, this is the time of year when students who want to use their summer breaks for valuable work experience can and should start looking for opportunities. Starting this process now will give students time to consider fields they might be interested in, identify possible internship and work opportunities, and adequately prepare for the application and interview process. 

Counselors do so much throughout the year to prepare students for their postsecondary next steps. As students are considering their summer plans, counselors can help them understand the short- and long-term benefits of participating in these kinds of work-based learning opportunities, encourage them to seek out openings, coach them on ways to put their best foot forward in the application process, and, ultimately, get the most out of their summer experiences. Use these tips to help get students started now: 

Identifying Opportunities: Many high school students do not even realize that there are employment opportunities for students their age outside of the service industry. Counselors can help students understand that these exist–across a variety of professional sectors–and that they are qualified for these positions. And, all too often, these kinds of opportunities are limited to students who have personal or familial connections. Counselors can serve an important role in expanding access to work-based learning opportunities for all students. Counselors, CTE educators, college and career advisors, and others who support students might:

• Help students brainstorm what types of summer internship or work would align with their long-term goals and plans. Guiding students to connect their interests, passions, and skills to fields of work and to area businesses can be extremely beneficial in thinking through opportunities.
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• Reach out to businesses and industry partners to ask what opportunities might be available for students. When doing this, consider talking with industry partners about any specific skills or interests that would best align with the opportunity. 
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• Keep a list of businesses who have hired high school interns in the past and share this list with students interested in opportunities in similar fields. Consider making contact information from this industry partner database available to students who might want to directly reach out to businesses.

• Widely advertise internship opportunities and, if there are openings that align to specific paths or areas of interests, help students interested in those fields to learn about the position and apply. It can be particularly helpful to use digital platforms, such as SchooLinks, to share information about summer opportunities and identify students who might be a good fit. 

Completing Resumes & Applications: While a business that is looking to hire a high school intern is not likely seeking large amounts of experience, they will want a student who is dedicated, organized, and professional. In order for students to be prepared to communicate and showcase these skills, it is helpful for them to create an organized resume. Counselors might partner with CTE, English, business, or writing courses to provide guidance to students on: 

• Cataloging and organizing any formal or informal work experience, volunteer experience, leadership roles, extracurricular involvement, awards or recognitions, and any industry certifications or specialized skills. It can be helpful to show students models of student resumes, and work with them to identify lists of experiences that would be valuable to add to resumes.  
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• Thoughtfully completing applications on time. Consider building in time during advisory periods to offer opportunities for students to have an educator review materials and answer questions. 

Preparing for Interviews: Students who are being considered for a summer internship or job will likely need to sit down for an interview with a manager. This can be one of the first times that they participate in an interview, and they will likely feel a bit nervous. With a few small considerations, counselors and educators can do a lot to ease these worries and help students prepare for an interview by: 

• Showing students a list of standard interview questions and discussing possible answers. Finding ways to provide feedback to strengthen responses and what to do when the answer is not obvious to them can prevent panic during the interview. If possible, hosting mock interviews between students or with staff volunteers provides invaluable experience.
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  Brainstorming questions that students might ask the interviewer at the conclusion of an interview. Consider discussing with students that having some questions prepared ahead of time can show the interviewer a heightened level of interest and excitement. And, the answers to the questions can provide valuable information about the opportunity. 
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• Offering students who might not have home internet or devices access to use the school’s technology labs or devices if they will be participating in a virtual interview. 

Follow-up Communication: Communication–both as part of the hiring process and after the completion of an interview–can be a major differentiator among candidates.  Counselors can:

• Help coach students about what to communicate, the best modes of communication, and when to reach out in order to help them stand out in a large pool of candidates and increase their chances for future opportunities.  

• Teach students that sending an email to thank interviewers for their time is a kind and considerate practice and can show hiring managers that a student is truly interested and excited about a potential opportunity. You might share templates that students can use as a model for these follow-up messages.

• After students complete an internship or other summer work opportunity, advise students to send a thank you note overviewing what they learned from the experience, sharing gratitude for any and all support and learning from the staff, and to ask for a letter of recommendation for their files. 

The process of identifying, applying for, and securing a job is one that all students will encounter multiple times throughout their lives. Counselors can have a major impact on students by helping them develop these skills early, providing long-term benefits that will serve students regardless of their postsecondary path.

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