Work and Business

Grad Students Struggle for Internships

The stereotypical intern is 20 years old and makes extended trips to the bathroom to take care of paper cuts and a mild case of acne. Employers, in turn, don’t expect much from the summer students who fill positions that are below entry-level and typically unpaid. They see it simply as an opportunity for a student to get exposure to a particular work environment while making some industry contacts.

That could be why many are reluctant to hire graduate students for internships, even if they are more qualified for the position. Employers fear a more experienced intern will be unsatisfied with their basic responsibilities and walk away.

“There are a limited number of employers who want to hire a graduate student for their internship program,” said Paula Lee, associate director of New York University's Office of Career Services. “I’d say that they’re looking more for the undergraduate student.”

And with students converging on New York City for internships in the summertime, overqualified résumés are all the more likely to be passed over.

Take Dan Avery, for example. Avery is 32 years old, earning his master’s in journalism at NYU and began his journalism career before many of his competitors even had their first kiss.

“I interviewed at a number of different places, and they made it clear to me that I had too much experience. They were afraid I wouldn’t be happy there or that I would quit because they thought I was too good.”

On paper, at least, Avery is very good. He graduated with a bachelor’s in English from the University of Maryland at College Park. He went on to work at US News and World Report as a researcher and then, in 1997, as a designer of their Web site. He was an assistant editor at Washington D.C.’s Metro Weekly for roughly three years, an online editor for AOL and a producer that posted articles to the PC Magazine Web site.

Avery grew tired of working in online journalism but was having difficulty breaking into the print side. He returned to school in September 2004 to get his master’s in journalism so he could improve his chances of getting a good job in print.

Avery took a spring semester internship at Time Out New York to complement his course work. And although he scored a highly coveted internship with the editorial department, it wasn’t easy. He applied to eight publications for the spring semester, interviewed at three and was offered only two. He attributes the difficulty he faced to his background.

“The issue of me being overqualified came up in just about every internship interview.”

But NYU Career Services counselors say Avery and others like him should just keep applying to places, even if employers say they do not want a graduate student over the summer.

“It doesn’t hurt to apply,” said Lee. “The worst you get is that you wasted your time. We’ve had situations where an employer was convinced to hire a student for an internship when initially they weren’t planning on considering with that group. You never know.”

She even suggests looking into part-time employment.

“There’s a fine line between a part-time job and an internship. Employers might think that there’s another more suitable opportunity.”

Avery plans to leave Time Out New York when his internship expires at the end of the semester. He wants another position in print journalism, but he’s still struggling to get one. “I’m nervous because I don’t have anything lined up,” he said. He thinks his strong résumé is still marring his chances, but he will send it out, anyway.