Maximize your summer experience (for internships, research, service, and more!)

Congratulations! You have signed on to a summer experience, but now you’re asking yourself “now what?” Preparing for and going through your summer experience will benefit from some preparation, mindfulness, and reflection. Regardless if this is an internship, research opportunity, summer job, or service project, here are some tips to help you take your summer experience to a much more productive level.

After you take a well-deserved moment to celebrate committing to your offer, you will want to give yourself plenty of lead time to make arrangements so you can fully enjoy your summer experience.

Try to avoid waiting until right before your departure to plan ahead. You’ll have a smoother transition if you start planning on the earlier side. So as soon as you are confident in your summer plans, we suggest starting with securing housing, setting-up your budget, and locating support resources.

If your internship is not reasonably close to your home, you can speak with your employer and see how they might be able to help with housing. You can indicate that you are new to the area and ask what resources they might be able to provide to assist you in finding a place to live for your experience. They may have a listing of resources, know what resources past interns have used, or be able to give you some insight into places that might offer short-term affordable accommodations. Depending on the size of the program, some organizations may also offer means of connecting with other participants so you might be able to find roommates.

You may also want to think about how you might get around. If you have a car, or might be using public transport or similar modes for your commute, you will want to plan ahead for what you need. If the experience is in a metropolitan area, the employer may have information on transit benefits that may be open to you.

First of all, take time to fully review your offer so you have an understanding of how much you will be paid, the frequency of payments, and any financial support you may have. If you are uncertain about any of the jargon presented in the offer, consider reviewing these state-by-state guidelines or this glossary for new employees.

Whether this is your first summer experience or you’ve been doing this for multiple summers, it’s always a good idea to create a budget to help you manage the income and expenses you might incur during your summer experience. Student Financial Services (SFS) offers budget creation tools and provides financial advising if you are uncertain where to begin.

In addition, there are several online tools that can also support you:

  • Paycheck City: provides an estimation of what your take home pay will be after taxes and applicable deductions.
  • Best Places cost of living calculator: an example of a tool that can help you understand how much spending power you might have in different cities.
  • Mint.com: an example of a tool that can help you track expenses and monitor transactions.

If you need financial support for your experience, MIT offers different funding resources that might help you offset costs or cover expenses. Many of these have deadlines, or are limited in what they can cover, so be proactive in thinking about what financial support you need.

Being in a new place can be both exciting and challenging. If your employer offers you an onboarding guide or list of resources, take a moment to review those and identify what is available to you. You might also want to use online map tools to locate grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, and things to do within the vicinity of your housing or summer experience.

Likewise, you may want to inquire with your friends and family about people who you might know who are nearby. It is also a great time to further develop your network as you can make connections with alumni through either the Advisors Hub or the directory who work at the same place or are in the area. Alumni might be able to give you some guidance or recommendations about the area that can be quite helpful.

Depending on where your summer experience is and how you plan to get there, you might be limited in what you might need to bring.

It’s not a bad idea to review any onboarding documentation that can provide insight into proper office attire, but you may also want to inquire with your employer about any expectations if it is unclear. Likewise, you will want to consider what attire you might need outside of your summer experience and include that too. Think about the weather and general climate of the place you’ll be and think about the things you would do outside of your summer experience (e.g. sightseeing, going to the beach, etc.).

If you have any prescriptions that you take regularly, consider how much you need or locate nearby pharmacies that can help with a refill.

You are there! You are trained! You are ready to contribute!

When you first start, it may feel like you have all the time in the world–but be prepared for things to move really fast. While you may have a lot of work to do at your summer experience, take time to do the following:

  • Enjoy the experience! Throughout your time there, reflect on what you like and dislike about the job. This is a great opportunity to decide whether this might be the career for you.
  • If you do not find the work challenging or if you finish a project early, talk with your supervisor/mentor and ask if there are other projects you can help with.
  • Build relationships with current employees and your fellow participants. Have lunch or get coffee with different people across the organization and be sure to think about the questions you will ask. Take advantage of opportunities to learn about different career paths and cultivate mentors.

Outside of the experience, locate local alumni to conduct informational interviews. Take advantage of being in a new place and surrounded by a group of new potential connections.

You made it through! As you are preparing to head back after your summer experience, make sure you consider the following actions:

  • Wrap up any projects you are working on and inquire with your supervisor/mentor about any outstanding work that may need to happen.
  • If you secured housing, make sure you review any signed agreements regarding security deposits or requirements for vacating that may have financial ramifications.
  • Use LinkedIn or find alternative ways to stay connected with people you met throughout your internship or research experience.
  • Thank your supervisors and others you closely worked with. Inquire whether you can list them as a reference for future opportunities. If you are graduating soon, you might also inquire about the possibility and timeframe of conversion offers to full-time.
  • Update your resume with your new experience and highlight key accomplishments.
  • If you signed a non-disclosure agreement, check with HR or your supervisor to make sure you understand what you can share in future applications or during interviews so you are compliant with the agreement.

Your plans may change for many different reasons, and that it can be a disappointing or worrying experience. When you get the news, or make the decision, take a deep breath! There are still many options you can consider to have a rewarding summer.

  • Explore careers through informational interviews. Use Advisors Hub & Infinite Connection Alumni Directory  and LinkedIn’s Find Alumni Feature to connect with alums near you. 
  • Connect with local companies or alums doing interesting work. Propose a project you would like to help them with.  
  • Continue to look into local internship and summer employment opportunities.
  • Find research experiences on ELx, or reach out to research labs at local universities to inquire whether they need summer research help. 
  • Build your skills with free online courses through sites like MITx and LinkedIn Learning. 
  • Complete virtual work simulations through the Forage, or micro-internships through Parker Dewey.
  • Develop an independent project – design and/or build something to add to your portfolio. 
  • Begin or update your portfolio. MIT’s MECHE Communication Lab offers a helpful overview. 
  • Volunteer – Idealist & Give Pulse are great resources to find service-oriented opportunities. 
  • Relax & enjoy your summer! There’s absolutely nothing wrong with using your summer to rest and rejuvenate for your year ahead. 

We are excited that you are able to continue to build amazing experiences to inform your future career. As you need help throughout your summer experience, know that CAPD is here to help. Reach out and schedule an appointment with an advisor today!