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All About Teen Summer Internships
During the teenage years, summer vacations are typically spent with friends and family, enjoying out-of-town trips primarily for pleasure. But as teens grow up, their independence level increases and they begin to make long-term plans for their adult lives. During this time many ambitious and foresighted teens seek exposure to the workplace through summer internships.
Know The Benefits
Most of the time, summer internships are honorary positions, that is, done on a volunteer basis without pay. However, some internships available to teenagers do pay a small monetary stipend, generally to compensate the student for travel or lodging expenses, particularly if the internship is away from home. Whether paid or not, a summer internship program gives you the opportunity to broaden your education through first-hand experience with the workplace. This experience can be priceless to you during this stage in which you build repertoires, resumes, and professional portfolios.
Although your friends who are working paid jobs during the summer rather than doing unpaid internships may seem to earn a higher wage; completing an internship actually can result in a substantial increase in your lifetime earning power. Especially if you are able to get into technical or professional internships, you will be able to get practical experience in your field which will be far more valuable than the money you might be able to earn at the typical minimum-wage job available to a high-school student.
As an intern, you also have the chance to build professional contacts and relationships, creating your professional network that you will draw upon throughout your career. A mentorship program from a more experienced employee can actually be enjoyable, particularly if he or she has you helping with special research projects rather than routine work. Many students who successfully finish summer internships can look forward to permanent job offers after they graduate.
An Early Teen, Gets The Job
Many top companies offer summer programs for college and high school students. However, the prime positions receive enormous numbers of applicants, and the probable candidates are usually selected before spring semester starts. If you want the best possible shot at a desirable internship, you will want to begin inquiring in the early fall and have all your paperwork submitted by December.
Be Creative
Most formal programs are clearly defined by their sponsoring organizations. However, it is possible to go beyond them to develop other opportunities if you or your parents put some effort into looking into alternative possibilities. If you have already showed interest in a technical or academic field, your parents or academic advisors may be able to find individuals in the field who can persuade their companies to develop an internship possibility custom-made for your interests.
Research
To start your search, you should create a target list of programs to which you will apply. Search the Internet, or visit the library, and find a number of internship prospects that may interest you. There are many resources that will help identify corporations that are apt to have internship programs. If you don't know where to begin, speak with the reference librarian. He or she can guide you to sources that will have the information you will need.
Ask For Help
The search for an internship program is not a class assignment that you are required to work on in isolation. It is not cheating to ask for help -- in fact, in the working world it is generally expected that you should turn to fellow employees for help when you become stuck. So ask your parents or other trusted adults for help in the process of identifying suitable internship programs.
It is quite possible you won't need to look that far afield to find a good program. If your parents or a trusted adult friend already works in a field in which you are interested, you may be able to arrange to go to work with them for a day during spring or winter break and observe their job. If you still are interested in work in that field, they may be able to arrange for you to do an internship during the summer and get real work experience.
