Managing summer internships with fall deadlines (and other application conundrums)

Overall, we encourage you to be targeted when applying for internships. If you are going to apply to summer internships now, ask yourself one important question first so that, if you’re faced with having to accept/decline offers while waiting to hear from opportunities that have spring deadlines, you’ll know it’s worth the stress!

The question to ask yourself is, “do the internships seem to be structured to allow me to get the kind of experience I want?” Applying to any internship that vaguely seems like what you’re looking for will leave you putting work into things that you don’t necessarily want.

However, if you have narrowed down the list of opportunities you’d like to apply to to a targeted group, further cutting that list in fear of having to choose from multiple offers later on is counteractive.You do not know if you will receive offers for any or all of the positions you are applying for.

Put yourself in the position to have multiple choices that will give you the experience you want and/or need. Apply only to those internships that fit your targeted list of criteria, follow up where you can (!), then wait to hear about selections from the employer. If you get selected for one and not the others, then at least you put your resume out there and maximized your chances. But if you get selected for multiple opportunities, you are in the driver’s seat to accept or decline. If you didn’t apply, you would not have a chance at that luxury! Only throwing your hat into the ring for one or two opportunities narrows your chances of nabbing an internship all together.

What about if you get an offer from your second or third choice in a few months but you still haven’t heard from your top pick? That’s a bridge to cross when you come to it. It’s a bit of a game of hedging your bets. You could accept the position offered to you so you have something secured. Or, you could decline and cross your fingers that your first choice pulls through.

But we recommend another tactic: Ask the employer that extended the offer for a few days to think it over. Then, contact your top choice internship employer and ask where they are in the candidate reviewing process. If weeks away, you may decide that’s too long for you to wait. But if they’re going to decide in a day or so, perhaps you can buy more time to choose. Learning more about their review timeline can help you make your decision.

You can’t make a commitment and then back out of it later, though. This is a surefire way to burn bridges. When it comes down to it, you will need to make the best decision you can with the information you DO have. Trust yourself to make the right choice.

That said, if you find yourself in a scenario where you’re unsure whether to take the “sure thing” or wait out your other offers, reach out to the Newhouse Career Development Center! We can talk through your options with you to help you navigate the decision-making process.