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# Students trade summer jobs for internships choosing experience over income
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/students-trade-summer-jobs-for-internships-choosing-experience-over-income/
- Published: 2026-08-18T16:34:04.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-18T16:34:03.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Education, Santa Monica

Summer break gives students a chance to explore different career fields, and many are choosing internships over traditional paid jobs to do it.

Internships can offer valuable hands-on experience, professional connections and industry knowledge, but they often come without pay. As more students opt for internships over summer jobs, many are weighing long-term career benefits against the immediate need to earn money.

Unlike jobs, which are typically secured through a formal application, internships are often introduced through a connection — a family member or friend. But landing the internship still comes down to the student's own initiative, whether that's an email or a phone call.

Student Adria Bini said a connection through her grandfather helped her secure an internship at the Mario Cucinella Architects firm in Bologna, Italy. She used that connection to email the head of the firm herself and began working as an intern shortly after.

For many students, the goal is to gain experience in a field they're considering for the future. Student Emma Berline said she approached her internships hoping to explore marketing and public relations before committing to a college major.

"I wanted to start figuring out what to study in college," Berline said. "Doing social media gave me a glimpse into that world, and working at a PR firm showed me the other side of how influencers and promotion work — it helped me see what I do and don't want to major in."

Through those experiences, Berline said she realized she preferred social media PR over traditional business PR — something she could see herself pursuing in the future.

A typical workday looks different for every intern, depending on the tasks they're given.

Student Audrey Shamooilian works at a clean beauty brand, where she spends two to three hours screwing caps onto products, organizing shelves and opening packages. Simple as the tasks are, she said they help her feel like part of a real work environment.

"It definitely does feel good to be a part of a work environment because it kind of motivates me even further for my future," Shamooilian said. "I see how well the team works together and how cool it is to have a really nice office space — it's definitely motivating."

Bini's hours looked different. Her internship spanned the full workday — arriving at the busy architecture office at 9 a.m. and working until 6 p.m. on research, presentations, model-making and observation.

Despite the hands-on experience, both students said they felt some initial discomfort starting out.

Bini said she felt intimidated as the only high school intern at the firm and was determined to prove her value to the team.

"I would definitely say it was intimidating being the only high school intern — being so young and feeling kind of out of place, also in a foreign country, and having to interact with these professionals and try and show that I'm worthy of being there," Bini said.

Berline faced a similar learning curve entering the PR field with little prior knowledge, saying she had to learn "on the spot."

Still, she said the reward has come in seeing the results of her work.

"What's been rewarding is looking at what my work has done for people — actually seeing views, actually seeing change," Berline said. "I'm actually making an impact."

Through their internships, the students said they've picked up skills and lessons beyond their specific fields — including how to handle rejection during the outreach process itself. For Shamooilian, that lesson proved especially valuable.

"When I'm applying in the future, it's taught me not to be afraid to reach out twice," she said. "Sometimes you email once and you don't get a response, but it's always okay to go back and get out there again, because it's not embarrassing at all — it's really only helping you gain, not lose."

Berline said those lessons are exactly why she encourages other students to pursue internships when they can.

"If any teen has the opportunity for an internship or a job experience anywhere in their high school career, they should do it," she said. "You'll learn something you won't learn in school or through your parents."

Sophia Friedman, Special to the Daily Press