It’s the most wonderful time of the year – and no, not because Boston is a Frozen Tundra, but because Spring Break is just around the corner and with that first taste of the summer around the corner, there’s also the fun of laying out summer plans. As you may have guessed, I’m a planner through and through, so since summer can bring a certain level of uncertainty in terms of where I’ll be living and what I’ll be doing, I can’t wait to have a concrete plan laid out. Some people go home for the summer to either intern, work or just lay in the sun. (If I was from Florida or California, I’d probably stick to the third option). That being said, a lot of students are also making plans to either spend the summer in NYC, L.A. or our very own Beantown and with that comes it’s own set of exciting challenges. I’m going to run through a few pertaining to internships and the process as a whole.
In terms of Boston – there are a plethora of options and the perk is that the interview process is simplified since you won’t have to travel out of your way to get to an interview, etc. (Although some places are pretty open-minded in terms of Skype interviews if the distance is too much to bear). Another perk of staying in town is that subletting is made easy. There are always kids who live off-campus looking to sublet their room for the summer. It’s easy to stop by and see the place firsthand and also get a feel for your potential new roommates. BU also has a ton of summer jobs that include on-campus housing for the summer. Depending on the position, there is also often plenty of time to intern a few days a week or work a second job.
New York, similar to Boston – begins screening intern applicants around December, but most deadlines aren’t until early March. Christmas break is a good time to submit applications and then follow up early February. Boston is only a short train ride away from NYC so it’s fairly easy to make a quick day trip to interview or look at potential sublets. It’s also obviously a great city to make connections for post-grad employment opportunities. Just be sure to get ahead of the game since lots and lots of people flock to New York to intern for the summer.
For student’s looking to intern a little further, i.e. L.A., there is a wonderful COM study abroad internship program for the summer, that students are encouraged to take advantage of. Housing is provided. You complete your application shortly after winter break and then find out mid-March if you’ve been accepted into the program. The program puts you in contact with different companies looking for interns that fit your experience and interest. Then you interview and head out to spend your summer in sunny California.
In the mean time – fight through this dreary weather and remember, Spring Break is just a week away!
