Students

Part-time Job and Internship Survey 2010 - 2011

NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development


CONTENTS

Introduction

The New York University Wasserman Center for Career Development is committed to supporting students during their academic career by providing opportunities for NYU students to explore their career passions and career-related part time jobs and internships. We provide the resources necessary to explore, identify, and ultimately secure meaningful work experiences. Internships and part-time jobs continue to be integral components of a student's learning experience at NYU. Historically, NYU graduates hold an average of three or more part-time jobs and/or internships during their tenure here.

Over the last several years, the number of students seeking part-time jobs and internships has increased during the academic year at a consistently high rate, as students seek to gain professional experience, connect with employers, as well as to help cover the expenses of attending college. Increasingly, employers seek to "test drive" students by providing part-time job and internship work experience that can be evaluated before offering full-time employment.

Methodology

The survey was administered during late May through July 2011 and was sent to 4,100 NYU Juniors, or those who just completed their junior year. The information was supplied by the Registrar. The survey was first distributed by email via SurveyMonkey and was sent up to three (3) times to each student. If we did not receive a response, the student was called up to three (3) times. Net IDs as well as first and last names were utilized to eliminate duplicates. This is a smart survey so depending on the way the student answers the questions, the nature and number of questions may vary. Essentially, the survey consisted of ten questions, six of which were repeated four times to account for information related to academic year part-time jobs and academic year internships. Although students were asked to complete all questions, some respondents elected to omit certain questions, resulting in totals that do not add up to 100%.

2,424 students completed the survey yielding an overall response rate of 58%. 326 students did not provide a response to either the part-time job or internship question. These non-responders, as well as the 406 students who reported that they did not look for a job during the academic year, were removed from the total placement data.

Findings for Academic Year 2010-2011

Of the 1,692 NYU juniors who sought a part-time job or internship during the 2010-2011 academic year and answered the question regarding job search, 89% were successful, which is down slightly from academic year 2009-2010. The breakdown by school is as follows: CAS 85.6%, Nursing 81.4%, Gallatin 92.4%, Stern 92.5%, SCPS 90.6%, Social Work 95%, Steinhardt 92.8%, Tisch, 92%.

  • 91.5% of respondents who reported having a part-time job and an internship, or at least one internship, during the academic year said their position(s) related to their eventual career goals.
  • The mean salary for part-time jobs was $12.82 an hour during the academic year.
  • The mean salary for internships was $15.00 an hour during the academic year.
  • 84.5% of respondents indicated that they planned to work during senior year.
  • 69% of respondents reported using Wasserman resources to find their jobs.
  • 26.9% of respondents reported using a personal contact or a friend to find their position.
  • 20.6% of respondents reported holding 2 part-time jobs.
  • 25% of respondents reported having both a part-time job and an internship.

During the 2010-2011 academic year students reported finding their part-time job in a relatively short amount of time:

  • 71.4% found their job in less than 1 month
  • 17% found their job in 1-2 months
  • 4% found their job in 2-3 months
  • 7.6% found their job in 3 months or more

During the 2010-2011 academic year students reported finding their internship in a relatively brief amount of time:

  • 52% found their internship in less than 1 month
  • 22% found their internship in 1-2 months
  • 13% found their internship in 2-3 months
  • 13% found their internship in 3 months or more

Of the respondents, NYU students are most likely to hold a part-time job in the following industries:

  • Education 23.55%
  • Arts and Entertainment 6.30%
  • Financial Services 6%
  • Sports and Recreation 4.45%
  • Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations 4.35%
  • Computer Science & Technology 4.25%
  • Fashion and retail 4%
  • Sales 3.25%
  • Hospitality 3.05%
  • Communications, Journalism, and Media 3%
  • Healthcare 2.3%
  • Government and Non-Profit 2.1%
  • Law 1.8%

Of the respondents, NYU students are most likely to hold an internship in the following industries:

  • Arts & Entertainment: 20%
  • Communications, Journalism, & Media: 12.50%
  • Financial Services: 11.8%
  • Government & Non-profit: 7.35%
  • Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations: 7.25%
  • Healthcare: 5.5%
  • Fashion & Retail: 4.35%
  • Science & Research: 4.35%
  • Social Services: 3.15%
  • Consulting: 2.65%
  • Law: 2.4%
  • Education: 1.8%
  • Hospitality: 1.6%

Conclusion

Part-time jobs and internships continue to be a significant component of undergraduates learning experiences. It is clear from the survey that college students still consider part-time work and internships as vital parts of their academic experience. We have learned, through our counseling appointments and through national trend data, that students seek part-time work and internships as a way to connect their academic training with the external world, to "test out" a possible career direction, to earn money to help pay for expenses, to develop skills, and to gain experience and professional contacts. Besides seeking the brightest and most experienced new graduates, employers increasingly want professionals who have been field tested and can "hit the ground running". Internships and part-time jobs play increasingly important roles in determining a student's career direction and full-time employment options after graduation. Students with these experiences demonstrate a greater career focus, and thus, have more full-time employment options after graduation, which is especially important in times of economic uncertainty. The experience gained through these opportunities gives students a decisive edge in securing a meaningful and challenging position upon completion of their academic work at NYU.