Communication sophomore Isabel Espaldon won’t be a lifeguard or a waitress this summer — she’ll be an intern in General Electric’s fraud department, a position that could land her a full-time job in a few years.
“They usually give you a job when you graduate,” Espaldon said. “It’s great money and I’m saving up for study abroad next year, so I think it’s a good arrangement.”
Espaldon found her internship with the help of a national placement organization. Many students seek outside help when looking for career-building summer jobs and internships.
Espaldon got her internship through Inroads, a program helping minority students find jobs and internships in the business and industry fields.
“Inroads was great,” Espaldon said. “They set you up with companies in your area.”
The companies associated with Inroads often take students for all three summers they are at school, she said, and generally hire them full-time after graduation. Espaldon submitted applications to several companies, but GE was her first choice, she said.
University Career Services also helps students find jobs and internships.
“We help students learn to do self-directed job searches,” said Lonnie Dunlap, director of career services. “Knowing how to plan and prepare materials for a job search is important. Once they learn that, it’s a lifelong skill.”
Dunlap said UCS has helped students find jobs and internships in a variety of fields, including government agencies, non-profit organizations, consulting and engineering.
Dunlap encouraged students to take advantage of the center’s resume reviews, career counselors and workshops. UCS is trying to target freshmen and sophomores, who will benefit more from the center’s services if they start early, she said.
“We want to help them find meaningful and fulfilling careers,” she said.
Although UCS and organizations such as Inroads are available to job-seeking students, some rely on connections through family and friends.
Justin Shapiro, a Communication freshman, said he got an internship at Merrill Lynch, a financial consulting firm, with the help of a neighbor.
“To get a job at Merrill Lynch as a freshman is hard,” Shapiro said. “I don’t know exactly what I’ll be doing, probably a lot of filing and stuff like that.”
Although he will not be a full-fledged intern, Shapiro said he still thinks he will benefit from working at a place like Merrill Lynch.
“It’s definitely a great opportunity,” Shapiro said.
Still, not all NU students will go home this summer with jobs and internships. Some plan to find a job after they get home.
“I dropped off resumes and picked up applications during spring break,” said Weinberg freshman Lauren Meyerson. She said she worked as a camp counselor last summer and is looking for something in an office setting this summer.
“I didn’t want something typical, like retail or restaurants,” said Meyerson. “But because NU gets out so late, students at other schools will have a head start and I won’t have much of a selection.”
Reach Aliza Appelbaum at
