Summer Job/Internship Searching

 

When to start (early!)

It is important to start your job search early, but many employers do not know until April or May how much summer help they will need. Nevertheless, you can at least begin the research phase early, deciding what type of summer job you want and gathering names of potential employers. Some employers, such as camps, national parks, and competitive internships, do announce their summer jobs and internships early in the year and may even have early deadlines. If you are seeking funding for unpaid internships through Barnard, it's important to do your research early. Applications for funding are typically due in early April. For more information see the Internships section of the Career Development website.

Decide what you're looking for

Identify what your goals are for the summer. Is your priority to earn a certain amount of money? Or do you want a professional, career-related experience to explore your interests? Do you want to be in a certain geographic location? Deciding what your priorities are helps you focus your search, making it more manageable.

Plan ahead

Especially if you are looking outside your hometown for a summer position – prepare a budget, find affordable housing and remember health insurance. You may want to "hedge your bets," because summer jobs/internships occasionally fall through. Be prepared to look quickly for an alternative close to home.

Where to find job/internship listings

  1. Online resources accessible from Career Development website:

    • Part Time and Summer Jobs – search listings of on-going part-time positions, which are not exclusively for the summer period, and summer jobs on the Barnard eRecruiting database. Use the one-click searches from your eRecruiting home page to build quick lists of summer and part-time jobs.

    • Internships – listings of paid and non-paid internships on eRecruiting. Select "Internships" from the "More Searches" box on your eRecruiting home page. Start your search using keywords. Stop by Career Development if you'd like more help using eRecruiting to search for internships or jobs.

     

    • BarnardTrak/ColumbiaTrak - Barnard students may access postings on both these sites. For a password for off-campus use, call Career Development at 854-2033 or email ocd@barnard.edu. Please provide your full name and class year.

     

    • Vault Career Library - accessible through your eRecruiting home page. Research occupations, companies and industries, read career advice articles and search the new Vault Internship Database.

    • Temporary Agencies – Consult the Temporary Agency Tip Sheet on our website, www.barnard.edu/ocd, for more information.

    • Surf the Internet – The Career Development Website provides links to career sites that focus on particular areas of interest. Select "Career Resources" from the student menu or Frequently Requested Links box at www.barnard.edu/ocd.

  2. Information located in Career Development:

    • Library Resources – The library in Career Development contains summer job guides as well as directories that do not list actual job openings, but list organizations to contact. The drop-in counselor can direct you to the best books for your search. These include:

      • Summer Jobs Abroad (2007), Summer Jobs in Britain and Summer Jobs USA – These books published by Peterson’s are on reserve in Career Development. They contain listings of organizations (camps, hotels, businesses, recreational areas, etc.) that offer summer jobs.

      • Peterson’s Internships: – Contains 50,000 listings with a variety of organizations located throughout the country from the Arizona Heart Institute to the Seattle Opera. Includes indexes by location, interests and paid status.

      • Internship Bible – The Princeton Review publishes this listing of 100,000 of the most sought after summer internships; most are with well known "household name" companies.

      • Also refer to directories in specific fields or providing information on specific locations including: Literary Market Place, Directory of Public Relations Firms, Plunkett's Entertainment and Media Almanac, NALP Directory of Legal Employers, National Trade and Professional Associations, America's Top-Rated Cities, etc.

    • Summer Jobs Book – Summer job announcements from camps and other organizations are located in a separate binder at the front desk (sorted by type of work and region) and are also posted on eRecruiting.

  3. Elsewhere at Career Development:

    • Babysitting Agency – In addition to the regular supply of temporary babysitting jobs, there are some live-in childcare jobs for summer. These positions provide compensation in addition to housing and may involve travel to summer resorts for family vacations.

    • Career Development Newsletter – Always a reliable source of information on summer jobs or internships.

     

  4. Position-finding resources outside Career Development:

    • Barnard/CU Faculty – Faculty in some departments hire for the summer. Consult individual professors for more information.

    • Barnard administrative departments - Many campus offices hire students over the summer. College Activities hires students to help coordinate the Orientation Program for incoming students each year. The Pre-College Program hires Resident Assistants and Office Assistants; applications are typically due in February.

    • Search out-of-town newspapers online for long-distance job searches. Identify potential employers, research web sites, and contact regarding summer openings.

    • See Networking Tip Sheet or speak to a counselor to expand your network of contacts! Tell everyone you know about your interests and goals for the summer. See the Tip Sheet on Informational Interviewing if you would like to contact alumnae in various industries (to request information, NOT a job).
Other Useful Information
  1. Summer Housing – Check with Barnard Residential Life for updated summer housing information (www.barnard.edu/reslife and select Summer Housing link). Forms are typically available in April. Ask about possible discounts for campus work, research for Barnard professors, or funded internship grants. Students also check Columbia University summer housing, sublets around Columbia, listings on www.craigslist.org, and housing at other colleges. 

  2. Budgeting Assistance – Need help preparing a summer budget? Set up an appointment with the Manager of the Financial Fluency Program in Career Development. Call us at 854-2033 or stop by Elliott Hall, 2nd Floor, during office hours.
Close Window     Print Page