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Landing an internship in 2025
Pattie Hunt Sinacole offers advice on how to secure an internship
Q: My son is looking for a summer internship in the Boston area. I worry if he can’t find one in his field. Then, I am worried if he ever gets a full-time job. I am wondering if internships sometimes turn into full-time roles. He had a finance-type role, kind of an internship, last summer, but they put many finance internships on hold in 2025. I worry if he can break through the clutter of his peers. The competition seems fierce. When he was a freshman, he thought he wanted to pursue a career in marketing, but he has since decided against it. The flipflop may have hurt his career aspirations.
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A: Congratulations to your son! Your son seemed to enjoy success last summer! He must be doing something right! He landed a role last year, which was aligned with his career interests. What he excludes from his list of possible careers is just as important as what is included. It is helpful to know now that he is no longer interested in marketing. It is better to discover this while in college, vs. starting his career in a marketing role and then realizing it is not for him.
Internships can be hard to come by. Typically, formal internship programs are offered by larger companies. The roles may be posted on their websites, circulated internally throughout the company, or communicated to the career services offices of colleges or universities.
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I consulted Gemma Chatham, a junior at Colby College. Chatham is searching for a 2025 summer internship. Chatham has developed a target list of companies, which are of interest to her. Additionally, she has refined her resume, to include part-time roles from the past few years. Her LinkedIn profile has been updated as well. Finally, Chatham understands the importance of networking.
Here are some specific suggestions for your son:
- Update his resume and his LinkedIn profile.
- Clean up any social media accounts that may work against him. Some offer privacy options, which could be helpful.
- Visit his career services office. When I ask students about their relationship with their career services office, my “test” is one question: does someone in that office know the student by name? If not, then a student needs to use their services more frequently.
- During your son’s breaks and weekends, if he has time, he may want to explore online courses that could even further hone his skills. Advanced excel skills always seem to be in demand for finance roles.
- Most importantly, network. Job seekers still find the best “tool” in their job hunter’s “tool box” is their personal and professional networks.
- Check email daily. He can respond quickly which signals interest.
- Send thank-you emails. If someone meets with him, even if informationally or even if he doesn’t receive an offer, a thank-you note is a must.
The unemployment rate remains low. Though there have been some signs that the job market has been softening, a 4% unemployment rate is still favorable for job hunters.
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