Students that are still looking for internship opportunities this summer, it is not too late to secure or create a meaningful opportunity. Given the shift to virtual platforms this year, students can certainly entertain more opportunities across the country and even across the world and do them from the comforts of their homes. However, finding an internship at the high school level can be challenging as recruiters look for more expertise and prefer hiring undergraduate students. But there still are places and ways to find internships as a high schooler. Below, we have provided a rundown of some resources you and your high school student can turn to to find an enriching summer internship for them, even at the last minute!
Online
Checking online platforms and job posting sites is a quick and easy way to find different companies looking to hire high school interns and which companies might still have open job postings. Below are some of the most common and widely used platforms for internship searches.
The easiest search option for internships is simply a google search. Go to your google search tab and put in "internship opportunities for high schoolers" or any other keyphrase that you would like. Google will put together a list of possible internships close to your location that might interest you. You can add filters and refine your search to further narrow down what opportunities you and your child are looking at. For example, this can be an industry preference, a location, or a role type.
Linkedin is one of the leading professional networking platforms today. Consider having your high school student create a Linkedin profile for themselves. This is an excellent way for them to begin building their professional network and finding opportunities. After creating their profile, students can go to the "jobs" tab on Linkedin and put "internships" in the search tab. Add additional filters such as 'high school' or 'remote' to find an opportunity better suited for you. If you come across an internship that interests you, go ahead and send in your application!
- Chegg
Chegg is an educational company providing different services to students. This platform also provides a rundown of various internships that high schoolers can partake in. Find the right internship for your child by putting in the right keywords and your desired location if applicable.
- Indeed
Indeed is an employment website used widely in the United States. Students can use this to find job listings even at the high school level. Similar to the previous sites, use keywords and filters to customize your search.
- Angel.co
This is a very large community of startup companies. There are a ton of internship postings here, primarily for working age professionals and college students, but a confident high school student can consider applying for some of the internships meant for college students - especially those that are non-paying. Students can filter by type of company, industry, job position, type of work, etc. to view opportunities that are available.
While the above options are some of the most popular platforms to search for high school internships, there are definitely others that you may come across. Feel free to explore opportunities on these sites as well, but be wary and check to make sure that it is a legitimate company/opportunity before proceeding.
Close Circles
The most effective strategy for securing an internship for your child at the high school level would be to reach out to family members and close friends and express that your child is looking to engage in an internship over the summer. Given that family and friends are already familiar with your child and their academic standings, it might increase their chances of being willing to help. Similarly, your child might reach out to their teacher and counselors at school. Once again, these are people very familiar with your child, their interests, and their skill sets.
In addition, if they cannot hire your child, you can always request these close contacts to pass the word along that your academically motivated high schooler is looking to do an internship over the summer. If you are put in touch with someone, don't immediately jump at asking them to hire your child. Instead, ask if they would be willing to talk to your child about the work they do. If the conversation goes well, then your child can then find out if they would be willing to hire a high school student for a summer internship.
At the high school level, internships are a way for students to get a taste for different professions, see how they work, and decide if these are areas that interest them. In this light, high schoolers don't necessarily have to look for formal and intense internships. In your request to family and friends, you can ask whether it would be possible for your high schooler to job shadow. For example, if your child's aunt works at a hospital, you can ask if it would be possible for them to go to the hospital and closely watch the type of work that they do there. This might even be easier to do given our switch to increased virtual platforms. For example, if your neighbor runs a business, you can ask if your child can sit in on some virtual meetings to learn about the work they do and get a sense of the work environment. These types of internships are easy to do while simultaneously rewarding in giving your child an understanding of these different occupations. Even in job shadowing, the employer might decide to give your high schooler different tasks, depending on the need.
Local Businesses
High school students should reach out to local businesses to see whether they can work part-time with them. Students can directly contact businesses via email or phone to see if the company would need an intern over the summer. However, with this route, be sure that the student has already formulated an internship plan before reaching out to the organization. High school students are not always seen as a priority for existing positions, and they may not be viewed as particularly useful. Therefore, it is important that the student does proper research and planning before reaching out and be able to make a clear case as to how they can help the business. For example, students skilled in art and design can offer to make posters and banners for the business. Students with coding and technical skills can offer to help in IT. Every business is looking to implement digital marketing, and students that are familiar with social media can make a strong case. Students should make their value proposition clear, so that the internship is not just about helping a high school student gain experience, but it is about the business getting valuable work done.
If you would like to speak to one of our advisors about summer planning, book a time with us here to learn about how Versed can help.
Other options to consider for summer 2021:
Entrepreneurship Opportunities for High School Students
Virtual Internships for High School Students
Best of Online Learning - University Classes
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