Internship Opportunities for Motivated High School Students

Internship Opportunities for Motivated High School Students

By now, the message is out: It’s important for college students to have at least one internship experience related to their intended career. Even better, two internships. However, internships for high school students are becoming popular as well, according to a recent Chicago Tribune article, “High school students turn to internships to help plot future.”

Internships are a great way to explore potential career areas, make better decisions, and can add substance to a college application. If you are a high school freshman, sophomore, or junior, or a parent of one, it’s important to begin exploring careers well before college visits and the application process.

Why? Because colleges are interested in a student’s career and academic goals. Most college applications have at least one essay question on this topic. In addition, to be considered for certain academic programs or colleges, students are requested to explain why they are interested in that major and career path. These questions naturally come up during college admissions interviews, and in interviews that may be connected to scholarships. The bottom line? Students who have a sense of direction and can articulate why a particular school and academic major would be a good fit for them are attractive college applicants.

Internships are not just for college-bound students. Internships can introduce these other students to potential “middle skill jobs”, careers that require more than a high school diploma but less than a bachelor’s degree. These jobs represent the fastest growing segment of the job market today.

High school students can use internships as a means for investigating careers in general, but internship experiences are even more powerful if the student has completed a career assessment first and then applies for an internship in their field of choice. Their motivation and application are powered by an understanding of themselves and their abilities – very compelling to an employer deciding among many qualified internship candidates.

Some Internship Opportunities to Put on Your Radar

“Luck is when preparation meets opportunity,” says the old adage. Below is a list of resources that may lead you to an internship while still in high school – or give you an idea of where to find your own internship opportunity.

The federal government has internships available to high school students, although most high school internships are offered by local organizations and employers.
In the Chicago area, the high school districts serving the northwest suburbs have a particularly well-developed career exploration program that include internships, career treks and career nights. Career treks are half-day career exploration field trips that take place throughout the school year. Might you work with your parents or school counselor to set up a career trek for yourself and several other students?
The Northwest Educational Council for Student Success (NECSS) works with the individual high schools in Chicago’s northwest suburbs to set up and coordinate many of these career activities. They consolidate events and career exploration experiences for families in their area. Perhaps your area has an “Education-to-Careers” type of organization you might tap as a source of information about internships.
Illinois Township High School District 214 represents some of the schools served by NECSS and lists internships, camps and other programs related to career exploration on the district’s website. Most of the opportunities on this list are open to students outside of District 214, and some are even national programs. Viewing the range of opportunities may give you some ideas of employers to approach in your area.
For students interested in a healthcare career, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois, offers a five-week paid internship in areas such as Pediatric Physical Therapy, Music Therapy, and Patient Care Units (Orthopedic and Surgical). Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, Illinois, invites high school juniors to work with nurses, radiology techs, physical therapists and other healthcare professionals. Check with your local hospital to see if something similar is offered.
Interested in politics and government? High school students can be eligible for internships with state lawmakers; check with your local officials. And don’t discount your city or town’s government – many of them welcome high school students on government commissions, such as the architectural review or environmental commission. The Illinois State Board of Education Student Advisory Council makes policy recommendations to the board. Council members attend board meetings and sessions of the General Assembly.
The Target Science and Engineering Program at Fermilab, a U.S. Department of Energy research facility in Batavia, Illinois, is a highly competitive internship program. If you have a strong interest and demonstrated aptitude in math and physics, this program might be for you.
For students with an interest in business and finance, the Chicago Summer Business Institute offers paid internships with banks, and law, accounting, and engineering firms in Chicago. Interns also attend seminars where they learn about financial markets.
Love animals? The Anti-Cruelty Society Veterinary Mentoring Program may be for you. It is held in conjunction with the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine.
The Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium both offer internships and programs for high school students. In fact, this year, the Planetarium had interns working with public programs, summer camp, robotics programming, show design, digital arts, and electronics.

Plenty of ideas here, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. In addition to internships, students can learn about career options through informational interviews, job shadowing, volunteering, and part-time or summer employment. In fact, even adults can continue to investigate possible new career directions for themselves by practicing these same Career Literacy activities, because these are lifelong skills.

Tips for Students

There is typically a lot of competition for internships. Don’t let that discourage you. Talk to your parents, high school counselor, and professionals in the field to learn what you can do to prepare yourself to be the best applicant.
Note application deadlines; gather your information and references, and submit your application well before the due date.
Don’t sit around and wait for an internship – begin volunteering or get a part-time job in an organization or company that is of interest to you.
Create opportunities for yourself! If you have an interest in a career area, work with your parents to approach a company or organization to ask about job shadowing, a part-time or summer job, or creating an internship. Employers will be impressed with your initiative and direction.
Above all, have fun! Consider this a “treasure hunt” for your future. Nothing beats the great feeling you get from discovering a career that is a terrific fit with your abilities and gets you jazzed!