With the exorbitantly high cost of tuition, books, living expenses, meals, and other fees plaguing the bank accounts of college students across the country, we are naturally inclined to look for ways to earn income—whether that be from an paid internship or a job—while in school. And as students with the ultimate goal of developing our future careers, we are always searching for opportunities to enhance our resumes through extracurricular activities, volunteer gigs, and unpaid internships.
When I first came to Rutgers as a first-year student last fall, undecided on a major (or even a school), and overwhelmed at sheer amount of opportunities to get involved on campus, I never stopped looking for ways to make money and develop career experience. With a few rejections and a lot of determination, I was finally able to snag a commission-based campus representative position with a start-up in New York last December—with zero experience.
If you’re looking for opportunities to make money and develop career experience this semester, check out these ways I was able to find an internship as a first-semester freshman:
1. Make a CareerKnight account and visit Career Services ASAP.
CareerKnight, Rutgers’ online job and internship site and resume-builder, posts hundreds of jobs each week geared toward students of every major in each of the five Career Clusters. And if you’re still undecided on a major, you can still always meet with one of the friendly career counselors or go to Drop-In Resume Hours at their locations on Busch or College Ave.
2. Sign up for WayUp.
I found my internship specifically through WayUp—an online platform for job and internship postings from thousands of companies looking to hire students. Sign up for free here.
3. Get involved on campus.
With 500+ student organizations on campus, you’re sure to find an organization that suits your interests. Hone your talents and leadership potential by looking here.
4. Stay on top of your grades.
We ARE in school to get an education, after all. Go to office hours, stay on top of your readings, and maybe skip a night out….or two.
5. Don’t give up.
The internship and job search is tough. Keep applying and searching for opportunities—you never know what you might find!