More and more undergraduate students are turning to internships to help separate themselves during the job hunt. They opt to take unpaid internships in their desired job field instead of making money over the summer. Tim Zuckerman, 26, was one of these people. While attending college at St. Bonaventure, Zuckerman interned three times. Two times he interned for PR agencies. Now, he works for a business improvement district in lower Manhattan.
For Zuckerman, the experience he gained during his time as an undergrad helped him after he received his diploma.
“[My internships] certainly helped me out,” Zuckerman said. “Some interviewers asked me for details about my internships. Those, along with my academic record, made my resume appealing to hiring committees.”
That said, he knows people who were less successful than he was.
“A lot of my buddies are still out of work,” Zuckerman said. “They ended up going to graduate school or settled with a job that the ultimately didn’t like.”
Did you have similar experience during your job hunt? Did interviewers ask you about your internships? In your opinion, how important was internship experience in making you stand out from other job seekers?