Jump Start Your Summer Plan Search

CareerStudy Abroad

Feb 5

By Anna Lipscomb ‘19

It’s never too early to start planning for the summer. If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few resources and opportunities available to help you…

(Photo credit: USC Career Center)

Career Center

The Career Center should be your first stop when looking for a summer job or internship. It’s conveniently located in the Student Union, and offers a range of resources for career exploration, resume help, and interview etiquette. Throughout the semester, they host career fairs, career events, Trojans Talks, and workshops for students to build their professional skills and brand and interact with employers.

ConnectSC

ConnectSC is an online platform where you can not only search for internships and jobs, but also gain information about upcoming career events. Through the search tools, you can search based on criteria such as school affiliation, job function, industry, and position type.

Career Fair

The Career Fair is this Thursday, Feb. 9, 10 am-2 pm on Trousdale. Makes sure you are wearing professional attire, and come prepared with your resume and elevator pitch.

(Video credit: USC Career Center)

Jobs and Internships

ConnectSC will be one of the most valuable resources for your job or internship search. The On-Campus Recruiting Program (OCR) allows students to interview for paid jobs/internships with organizations and companies on campus. To be a part of this, make sure you read and sign the OCR Contract.

Emails

I strongly recommend checking your USC email frequently because different organizations and departments are constantly sending new emails about available opportunities. Every Monday morning, the Career Center sends out a weekly email with announcements, events for the week, videos, and information about positions such as paid internships, full-time positions, and interview schedules/resume collections. You should also look out for emails from your advisor and department, because they often share opportunities closely related to your field of study.

USC-sponsored Fellowships and Internship Programs

USC Dream Dollars

If you have an unpaid internship with a non-profit or government organization, the USC Dream Dollars program may award you with $1,500. Deadline: April 7, 2017 at 12 pm.

First Generation Scholarship

If you are a first generation student with an unpaid summer internship, you may qualify for a $2,000 scholarship. Deadline: April 7, 2017.

Awards Database

Through the USC Awards and Fellowships Database, you can search for different opportunities based on your degree and class level, demographic, and discipline.

External Fellowship Opportunities

There are many non-USC affiliated scholarships and fellowships that students can apply for. The following opportunities take place during the summer and are still open to applications:

Amgen Scholars Program at Caltech $6,000 stipend for students at sophomore level or above in the fields of biology, chemistry, or biotechnology to conduct research at Caltech over the summer. Deadline: February 15, 2017.

Capital Fellows Programs For students interested in policy-making and government. Fellows will assist state legislators, senior-level executive staff, and court administrators in California, and will receive a monthly stipend and other benefits. Deadline: February 13, 2017.

Problems without Passports

I did PwP last summer, and I highly recommend it because you conduct in other places in the world in small groups under a professor. You get to travel, earn credit, do research, and explore a new country and culture. What’s great about this is that it doesn’t take up the entire summer, so you can definitely have another internship or job when you come back. Although some PwP program deadlines have passed, many are still open to applications. (PwP programs are eligible for up to $3000 in Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (SURF) funding)

EASC 360: Global East Asia (China or Japan)

Dates: May 15 - June 10, 2017

Info session: February 6, 5:30-6:30 SOS 250

Deadline: March 1

Course: Global Consumer Culture and China (China) or Foreigner and Gaijin: International Understanding in a Global Age (Japan)

I went on this program to China last summer and made a blog post about my experience - I strongly recommend it to anyone who is interested in Asia, globalization, and marketing.

(Photo Credit: Anna Lipscomb)

ANTH 400: Maya Resilience: Constructing Past and Present Identities (Guatemala)

Dates in Guatemala: June 19 – July 2, 2017

Info sessions: Tuesday, February 7 (11:45am - 12:45pm), Monday, February 13 (2:15pm - 3:15pm), Wednesday, February 22 (1:00pm - 2:00pm) - All info sessions located in ACB 330

Deadline: February 26, 2017

ENST 499: Tropical Coastal Zone Sustainability (Eleuthera, Caribbean)

Dates: May 16 – June 5, 2017

Deadline: February 17, 2017

IR 445: US Defense and Foreign Policy: Nonproliferation and Weapons of Mass Destruction (Washington, D.C.)

Dates: May 15 – June 23, 2017

Deadline: February 10, 2017 by 5pm

SSCI 450: International GeoDesign (Amsterdam)

Dates: May 30-June 30, 2017

Deadline: February 10, 2017

WRIT 440: Healthcare in Haiti (Port-au-Prince, Haiti)

Dates: May 10 – June 15, 2017