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Part-time Job and Internship Survey 2011 - 2012

NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development

CONTENTS

• Introduction
• Methodology
• Academic Year Findings
• Conclusion

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 through part-time jobs, career-related volunteer positions, and internships. 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. We provide the resources necessary to explore, identify, and ultimately secure meaningful work opportunities.

Part-time jobs and internships continue to be integral components of a student's learning experience at NYU, as they are conduits, and often prerequisites, to professional experience and full-time employment. Similar to employers, students seek to "test out" possible career matches, and to connect their academic training with the external world. They develop and hone skills at their jobs, and gain networking contacts and references in the process.

Methodology

Most college career centers that measure part-time job and internship placement typically survey juniors as they tend to be more seriously considering post-graduate career plans. Additionally, they are the most targeted by employers for career-oriented part-time work, especially internships. Thus, the survey was administered during late May through July 2012 and was sent to 4,985 NYU juniors, or those who recently completed their junior year. The Registrar supplied the list of students.

The survey was first distributed by email via Qualtrics and was sent up to three (3) times to each student. If we did not receive a response, the student was called up to two (2) times. 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 eight questions, five of which were repeated two times to gather information related to both part-time jobs and internships. Although students were asked to complete all questions, some respondents elected to omit certain questions.

2,459 students took the survey yielding an overall response rate of 49%. 49 students did not provide a response to the academic year job placement question. These non-responders, as well as the 352 students who reported that they did not look for a job during the academic year, were removed from the total placement data. Career-related volunteer positions, such as working in a hospital, were included in this report and treated as internships.

Findings for Academic Year 2011-2012

Of the 2,058 respondents who sought a part-time job or internship during the 2011-2012 academic year and answered the question regarding job search, 92% secured a position, which is up from 89% in academic year 2010-2011.

A number of students indicated that they held more than one part-time job, career-related volunteer position or internship during the academic year.

Of the students who reported having an academic year part-time job or internship, 43% reported securing a part-time job via NYU or NYU Wasserman-related resources and 47% reported securing an internship via NYU or NYU Wasserman-related resources. NYU and NYU Wasserman-related resources include NYU CareerNet, On-Campus Recruitment, Career Fairs, NYU Staff members, Employer Presentations, NYU Events, or a promotion from a previous internship that was secured by utilizing NYU Wasserman's resources.

One of the areas that the Wasserman Center for Career Development continues to focus on is to facilitate learning outcomes that teach students how to ensure their marketability in any economic climate. Networking is key and the Wasserman team continues to provide services and coaching sessions to help students learn to network effectively and to utilize social media channels professionally to identify additional job opportunities. This data also highlights the importance of encouraging students to engage in a targeted job search - one in which they identify what they are interested in and qualified for - rather than an indiscriminate job search, in which they apply for any open position.

Of the respondents, NYU students are most likely to hold part-time jobs and internships in the following industries:

While not every student disclosed salary information, the majority of students reported being paid or receiving academic credit for their internships. What follows is the average hourly wage of students who provided this information.

Conclusion

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 post-degree options, both social and academic. Of this year's respondents, 73.5% indicated that they plan to work during their senior year. Finally, and anecdotally, students with these experiences demonstrate greater career focus, and thus have more full-time options after graduation -- a decisive edge, especially in times of economic uncertainty.