Student Union
- By Bryan Lynn
Tech Internships Pay More Than Average 'Real' Jobs
At the top is Facebook, which pays its interns $8,000 a month, more than any other American company. By comparison, the government estimated the average U.S. pay in 2015 was about $4,000 a month.
The survey was carried out by the website Glassdoor, a jobs website where employees post their experiences about jobs and pay.
[embed]https://youtu.be/JW8JWIEPx4U[/embed]
In second place was Microsoft, which pays its interns $7,100 a month. Oil company ExxonMobil came in third at $6,500. It was one of only a few non-technology companies to make the top 25 list. Amazon and Apple interns earn $6,400 a month, while Google pays $6,000, according to the survey.
Paid vs. unpaid internships
The survey showed that many companies recruit interns like they recruit full-time employees.
Ed Koc is director of Research, Public Policy and Legislative Affairs for the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). He says companies scout for interns at college, looking for those who might become permanent employees after graduation.
“They’re very selective in terms of who they choose to bring on board. Particularly because they want to be able to convert that student into a full-time hire once that internship is over,” Koc said.
This means students should prepare for internships the same way they would for a real career job.
NACE connects U.S. college career-service centers and conducts surveys on the job market for graduates. Koc said about 52 percent of interns at the colleges he serves end up getting full-time jobs.
"Employers that provided paid internships actually were the ones hiring the students. They were looking at them in a probationary fashion," he said.
[embed]https://youtu.be/9No-FiEInLA[/embed]
Paid internships don't only lead to a paid job, but a better paying job, according to a NACE survey.
Students who completed paid internships with private, for-profit companies received $53,521 in starting pay. Those who took unpaid internships received an average starting offer of $34,375.
Another NACE study found that unpaid internships led to decreased levels of job satisfaction. They also resulted in less development of skills than paid internships.
But unpaid interns gained a better understanding of their career field and some increased their academic performance, the research showed.
William Goodloe is president and chief executive officer of the not-for-profit Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO). He says many companies have found that an internship is a much more valuable recruiting tool than a job interview.
“What they find is that interviews are not as reliable as they would like. But if you get to work with someone -- observe them for 10 weeks -- then you have a much better sense of if you want to ask them back full-time after they graduate from college.”
The SEO Career program recruits and trains college students and places them in paid internships. The organization works with “underserved and/or underrepresented” students, including African-Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans.
SEO reports that 80 percent of its interns end up getting full-time job offers. Goodloe noted that one problem with unpaid internships is that they limit the candidates to only those with enough money to support themselves.
Co-op programs
Besides internships, some schools offer students another kind of work experience, called co-operative (co-op) education. Co-op students balance classroom study with full-time employment during the school year. Students are paid by companies while working during extended breaks from academic studies.
The University of Cincinnati (UC) in Ohio started the first American co-op program in 1906. Today, it partners with more than 1,800 companies. Depending on the area of study, most co-op students at UC earn between $12 to $27 per hour. This would be equal to yearly pay of $25,000 to $56,000.
Some UC programs, including engineering, design and architecture, require students to complete co-op programs. In others, students can choose between a co-op or internship.
Kettil Cedercreutz is the head of UC’s Division of Experience-based Learning and Career Education. As with internships, he says companies now use co-ops as a major recruiting tool.
“Right now we have an average of 98 percent placement rate in co-op jobs. Then what happens when they graduate, they have 20 months of practical experience in their major under their belt.”
Cedercreutz said co-ops can also be good for students’ academic performance and help them reach their graduation goals.
“In a co-op program they actually do graduate on time. To a very large extent because they learn something in the classroom and then they go out in industry and get to apply it - and they get to sort of digest it.”
UC also operates international co-op programs in which students study languages and then go to work at companies in Japan, Germany and Singapore.
Please leave a comment here, and visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, thanks!
See all News Updates of the Day
International students navigate financial challenges to pay US tuition
Navigating the complexities of higher education is challenging for many, but for international students, the financial hurdles can be particularly daunting.
Faced with skyrocketing tuition and fees, limited access to financial aid, and the instability of scholarships, many international students struggle to sustain their academic dreams.
Funding problems can lead some students to withdraw their college applications, as Alpha Daramy Sesay of Sierra Leone did. He abandoned his dream of studying journalism at the University of Maryland.
"I've applied to almost three universities in the past two years, and the board members were thrilled with my purpose statement and approved my application unambiguously," Sesay told VOA News. "However, I was unable to register due to the funding bottleneck, and the deadline for these offers has just lapsed."
Sesay had meticulously planned his move to the U.S., even stopping his scholarship search when a family member promised financial support. When Sesay was admitted to his dream school, however, the family support fell through, leaving him scrambling for scholarships that didn't cover all expenses.
Reflecting on his ordeal, Sesay advises future international students to seek scholarships and consult with school advisers early to avoid similar setbacks.
Talia Popovski, senior director of International Student Services at Valencia College in Orlando, Florida, suggests starting at a community college to save on tuition costs.
"Primarily, we have international students pursuing associate degrees," she said. "This is a major way for them to save money compared to going directly to a university."
Popovski emphasized the benefits of community colleges as pathways to universities, with many international students pursuing associate degrees before transferring to earn their bachelor's degrees. She also highlighted the role of on-campus work in alleviating financial burdens, suggesting institutional work-study programs as options.
According to NAFSA: Association of International Educators, a nonprofit dedicated to international education and exchange, international students are ineligible for federal work-study positions, necessitating discussions with advisers about employment eligibility. Popovski also mentioned that universities offer part-time jobs through their human resources departments, including paid internships, which provide additional financial support for education.
Student secures honor scholarship
Guilherme Lucas Mannarino, who received his associate degree from Valencia College, turned down 32 esports scholarships to study in Florida.
"I came to the United States [from Brazil] when I was 18 years old," Mannarino recalled. "I rejected all the scholarships that I acquired through esports, playing Fortnite."
Mannarino, who majored in finance at Valencia College, exemplified proactive planning in overcoming financial challenges.
Despite declining the esports scholarships, Mannarino secured an honor scholarship at Valencia College covering 50% of his tuition. He attributed his financial stability to planning ahead, staying on top of his academics, and acquiring an on-campus job.
To supplement his income, he conducted workshops advising Brazilian students on esports scholarships, allowing him to cover living expenses by finding roommates through social media.
"I was able to find a roommate on social media before coming to the U.S., which is a great way to save money," he said. "A year later, we had another roommate, which made my living costs cheaper, which is honestly the best way to save money in the U.S."
Tips for overcoming financial hurdles
Kadiatou Sow, from Conakry, Guinea, is studying at Saginaw Valley State University in University Center, Michigan.
"Managing the high cost of tuition and living expenses while studying abroad involves a strategic approach," Sow said. "I prioritize securing scholarships and grants tailored for international students to alleviate tuition expenses and sometimes cover living costs. Supplementing this with part-time work both on campus and in the local community provides a steady income for daily necessities."
She encourages fellow international students to balance work and studies effectively, understand visa work-hour regulations, and seek university support for financial aid options.
"Seeking guidance from university support services and staying informed about financial aid options are essential strategies for navigating these challenges successfully," Sow said.
Three ways international students can overcome financial hurdles:
1. Community college enrollment: Begin with an associate degree at a community college to save significantly on tuition costs before transferring to a university for a bachelor's degree.
2. On-campus employment: Explore institutional work-study programs and university job boards for part-time employment opportunities that complement studies and provide financial support.
3. Proactive financial planning: Save money before arriving in the U.S., seek scholarships tailored for international students, and explore paid internship opportunities to supplement income.
While financial obstacles are daunting, international students can achieve their academic aspirations through strategic planning, diligent scholarship pursuit and leveraging on-campus resources, advisers say.
By adopting proactive financial strategies and staying resilient, they can successfully navigate the challenges of financing their education abroad, ensuring a path to academic success and personal growth.
- By VOA News
Indian newspaper offers tips for US-bound students
Telangana Today, a newspaper in India, offers a list of tips and resources for students planning to study in the United States.
Among them:
- Prepare for your travel to the U.S., making sure to gather all necessary documents, including your passport and visa.
- Be sure to attend orientations.
- By VOA News
Michigan State international students get their own space
Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, is setting aside a space in the International Center for international students.
Nidal Dajani, vice president of the school's International Student Association, said that the club plans to use the space to host events and hopes to collaborate with other student groups.
- By Dylan Ebs
International students find community during Pride Month
For LGBTQ+ international students, Pride Month, observed in June, is a unique time to reflect.
They hold on to multiple identities — both their LGBTQ+ identity and their cultural background — but coming to terms with them is not always easy.
For graduate student David Zhou, these identities can feel conflicting as transgender rights in China remain a controversial issue and spaces for LGBTQ people close. Zhou, 25, is transgender and pursuing an education in the STEM field at an urban university in the Midwestern United States.
VOA is using a pseudonym for Zhou’s first name and is not naming his university to protect his identity due to safety concerns back home in China. Zhou is not open about his transgender identity to his family.
During Pride Month, Zhou said he attended multiple LGBTQ+ events in his community and is surrounded by a supportive group of LGBTQ+ students who can relate to his experiences. But he’s not open about his identity to everyone on campus and said he doesn’t disclose his preferred pronouns to everyone to avoid transphobic comments.
“I feel like I have to make some judgments of the character of that person to see if they’re a good person to disclose [my identity] to,” Zhou said.
Zhou’s Pride Month celebrations included attending local markets with LGBTQ+ vendors and hanging out with his LGBTQ+ friends.
“They normalized being trans and for a long time I feel like trans identity is, should I say a vulnerability, brings me fear and worrying about discrimination, but having those events are helpful because it allowed me to see that queer people could just [live] openly,” he said.
At social events where few international students are present, Zhou said it can be tough to fit in.
“There's a lot of times like when they were talking about things I kind of, don't really understand, mostly because I kind of lack some background experience or knowledge,” he said.
Zhou said he is not aware of specific groups for LGBTQ+ international students at his university, but said international students are more prevalent in graduate programs and therefore find representation in organizations for LGBTQ+ graduate students.
In China, transgender individuals must obtain consent from an “immediate family member,” even for adults hoping to transition, which critics say limits the autonomy of transgender individuals while supporters say the policy protects doctors from violence by upset parents.
Struby Struble, a former coordinator of the University of Missouri LGBTQ+ Resource Center, told NAFSA: Association of International Educators in 2015 that LGBTQ+ international students face a “double barrier” on campus.
“With their international student friends, they feel isolated because they’re the LGBT one,” she said. “But then among the LGBT students on campus, they feel isolated because they’re the international one.”
Nick Martin, associate director of the Q Center, Binghamton University’s LGBTQ+ student support office, said when international students tour the center, there’s often a sense of hesitation as they enter a type of space that may not be present in their home country.
“I compare that to a year in after they've come into the space, they've again, maybe come to some of our events, they've got more connected,” he said.
Martin said graduate students have a unique interest in the Q Center as they may use the office for research and advocacy purposes that align with their studies.
“For older students, there may be hesitancy in a different way, but I think it's more in the vein of they want to do some of the advocacy work,” he said.
Martin said he thinks about how both his office and BU’s international student office can support students who come from countries with few — if any — protections for LGBTQ+ individuals.
“It's been a learning process of what those students really need, but I think I've kind of learned that a lot of students are just looking for the safe space that we offer,” Martin said.
- By VOA News
International students discuss US campus culture shock
International students at De Anza College in Cupertino, California, talked about culture shock in an article in La Voz News, the student newspaper.
"It felt like a major culture shock. Everything was so different, from academics to mannerism," said a student from Mexico.
Read the full story here.
