“What internship are you doing this summer?” If you are a fellow St Andrews student like me, you’ve undoubtedly been asked or overheard someone ask this question these past few weeks. It seems that an internship obsession has engulfed the entire town. For management and economics students, the plan for summer can be pretty straightforward: an internship with a marketing or financial firm. It can be a bit more confusing for humanities students to figure out. The job market can be intimidating as an undergraduate, especially when there are so many different directions to take and so much pressure on who you’re working for. As an IR and modern history student, I, too, have experienced this stress and uncertainty when figuring out my summer plans. It can be hard to decide which path to take and even harder to find something that aligns with your expectations. So, in light of this, I have brainstormed a list of non-internship summer experiences for your summer that can help you fill requirements and fuel your resumes for your future careers.
Starting off with an excellent alternative to an internship is working for or participating in a fellowship at a think tank. Usually situated in areas of political influence such as London or Washington D.C., think tanks represent a particular political perspective and seek to analyze public perceptions and influence action in society. Fellowships are usually obtainable via application and can range from two to six weeks on average. Sometimes, they are even privately funded, which makes them easily accessible to everyone. A huge plus with think tanks is the connections created during a fellowship or work experience. Tutors and speakers at think tanks are great people to reach out to and can help you find career opportunities in the future. Some good examples of think tanks include the Hudson Institute, the Center for American Progress, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington D.C., and the Adam Smith Institute in London. The London School of Economics also has an excellent database based on location.
Despite these options that give you a more traditional university summer experience, there are multiple other experiences to be had. One you may not think of straight away is working in a library or archives. Libraries are always looking for help, and can be a fantastic, steady job to have where you still get experience working with archives and other firsthand source material. Another great place to look is your high school. My high school had a designated archivist to organize the school’s history and items of significance. This is a great way to gain transferable skills that might apply to future roles in management and archival material. Continuing on this literature trend, bookstores are great for summer jobs. It can be great work for working with old literature, especially if it’s a local bookstore or one focusing on vintage or second-hand books. It is easy to gain practical skills while also working with historical material.
Another great resume addition is working in a museum or cultural center that connects to your area of interest. For example, working in an anthropology museum during the summer as a guide or archivist would be a great resume builder for anyone interested in history, anthropology, archeology, or linguistics. Likewise, working at an art museum is a great opportunity for those wishing to make a career out of something related to art, history, politics, or culture. Even though it is not fully connected, there are skills, networking opportunities, and chances to study material objects that are related to your area of interest. This can be valuable as it shows your passion for the subject area. Passion for a specific subject can also work great for tutoring high school students in a particular area. If your passion is American history, it makes sense to tutor someone in APUSH. If you are invested in the environment and geography, an AP Human Geography tutor would be a great summer job. Similarly, if you are involved with clubs or societies during the school year, the summer can be a great time to engage and write sample articles or essays. For example, yearly involvement with the St Andrews Economist or Law Review can be hard to maintain with school work. If you can write a few articles during the summer, it can be productive, show commitment, and leave time during the semester for your course work.
However, if you’re still looking for a position within an organization, volunteering at a charity or nonprofit can be a great work experience and an impressive addition to your resume. Especially if the nonprofit focuses on a social issue such as poverty, illiteracy, or gender equality, it can be great for skill building. Special Olympics is an organization with significant ties to the volunteering community, which focuses on sports inclusion for people with disabilities. Working with people can be great for interpersonal skill development while working on the administrative side is great for attaining office skills. Especially if there are other people in the office all the time, you can learn about yourself and how well you function at a desk job or how well you work with others. This is helpful information to know for later in life when figuring out possible career paths.
Lastly, a great way to look for something more traditional or academic is by cold-emailing/calling people in those industries. I know multiple people who got prominent positions by emailing and asking around for advice. It never hurts to contact someone; as the saying goes, ‘the worst they can say is no.’ You show initiative and commitment to your chosen field by putting yourself out there. With areas like humanities, where the path is not so clear-cut, this is a good way to make yourself stand out. With all these options, I hope you can find a position for summer vacation that allows you to build your resume and better understand your career interests. Remember: all work experience is good experience. Working in a different industry during the summer can be just as helpful and you may find your interests lie somewhere else. Even if your internship not your first choice or your dream internship, any placement with transferable skills or connections to your area of interest can only help your career prospects.