The Summer Job vs. the Internship

Walking out of a last exam usually brings a feeling of intense relief – the summer is now finally within reach.

Yet once reality sets in, that feeling is shortly replaced with the feeling of anxiety caused by one of the most common debates university students have: choosing between a summer job and an internship.

Now there are a lucky number of students who somehow manage to score a paid summer job that applies to their program, obtaining experience on top of a steady income.

For the rest of us, though, the debate is still prevalent. Should we choose to make money at a job that will not benefit us in the future but guarantee financial security? Or should we apply for an unpaid summer internship at a company that  would not only look good on a resume, but also benefit us with the experience needed for our dream career path?

Now to illustrate this debate, I am going to use the story of last summer where I worked as an intern at CTV BC.

Everyday it was easy to get up for work because it was something I loved doing. But as my bank account seemed to shrink that positive feeling began to disappear.

I decided a part time job was required in order to keep my head above water.

I got a job as a landscaper working three days there and three days at CTV.

The advice I would give as a student, who is going through the complicated decision between becoming a volunteer intern and working a summer job, is to take the internship.

“Internships give you the chance to meet a lot of people, set up a network of contacts, and actually gain real-life experience in the field you’re interested in,” Rachel Collier, a CTV BC intern and a Journalism student at Carleton University, tells HerCampus

When your university career is completed and the hunt to get a job begins, it will be a lot easier to get that dream job if you have experience in the given field.

Future employers will be extremely impressed and you might even get lucky and score a full time job once the internship is complete!

The biggest tip I can give is to get a part time job on the side. It will make the summer a little chaotic, but guarantee a steady income as well as a reference that looks really good on a resume.

Split the week in half, working Monday to Wednesday as an intern, for example, and Thursday to Saturday at the job of your choice.

Last summer, I managed to maintain the summer internship and still make some money on the side with the part time job to help me maintain my income throughout the school year.

image source : www.internshiper.com