Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

DD asking me for advice- Summer internship Vs Travel in Asia

54 replies

bellylaughs · 21/12/2022 14:00

For once DD had actually asked my advice and I’m stumped. Shes currently in 2nd year Geography at a RG Uni. She’s torn between travelling around Thailand with her friends for a month this summer or applying for a (hopefully!) career-enhancing summer internship.

I can see the advantages to both and she has the money saved so she could afford the trip. Usually I would always say travel but these days my friends kids all seem to be doing internships and I don’t want to advise her to travel and then she regrets it when it comes to the job applications next year.

…at the end of the day it’s obviously her decision but I’d like to add my advice since she asked! Any mumsnet knowledge would be very helpful.

OP posts:
RunningFromInsanity · 21/12/2022 14:30

I don’t think she will ever regret going travelling.

Once you start a job it’s very difficult to get the time off to do such a long trip.

KnickerlessParsons · 21/12/2022 14:41

Travel!

superdupernova · 21/12/2022 14:50

Travel! She might not get a similar chance again. It's not a disaster on a CV. It shows some self sufficiency missing in a lot of graduates I've worked with.

GCAcademic · 21/12/2022 14:54

What other work experience does she have?

Mercurial123 · 21/12/2022 15:03

Travel, Thailand is amazing.

Turmerictolly · 21/12/2022 15:12

Can she do both? Month travelling plus two months internship.

FHmama · 21/12/2022 15:15

Travel 100% - Thailand is amazing, best thing I ever did!

Dappledapples · 21/12/2022 15:16

Internship, she can travel any time

SandyIrvine · 21/12/2022 15:26

Unless she already has good work/volunteer experience, I'd go for the internship. She can always do the Asia trip after graduating and before starting work.

Many doing internships get offered jobs at the end (or are fast-tracked to the final stages of the graduate recruitment scheme).

My middle one is an RG geography graduate. He said it was his part-time jobs which got him his graduate scheme. Was able to provide a wider (more business relevant set of experiences) at interview.

Margo34 · 21/12/2022 15:34

Internship while the opportunity is there. Travel will always be an opportunity, but the internship won't necessarily.

Also - Asia has so much more to offer than just Thailand! 😍

OneCup · 21/12/2022 16:19

Internship! She can travel another time. Thailand will still be there ( honestly though, Thailand out of all places?).

Mercurial123 · 21/12/2022 16:36

OneCup · 21/12/2022 16:19

Internship! She can travel another time. Thailand will still be there ( honestly though, Thailand out of all places?).

What's wrong with Thailand it's amazing. I've travelled through Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Japan. Thailand is one of my favourite places.

Cas112 · 21/12/2022 16:37

Travel!

LizziesTwin · 21/12/2022 16:39

Internship this summer (most are only 5-6 weeks) then travel next summer once graduated. Lots of companies have two intakes so she could always start in January rather than September. Another advantage is not having to look for a job in her final year when the workload increases.

TumbleFryer · 21/12/2022 16:40

Definitely internship. The rates of unemployment and underemployment of graduates is very high. She’ll need more than a degree from a good Uni to secure a good job these days. She can travel any time.

Boosterquery · 21/12/2022 16:43

If the internship is in a competitive field and your DD really wants to pursue a career in that field, I think she should prioritise the internship.

ErrolTheDragon · 21/12/2022 16:49

Apply for the internship, she may not get it but the application process may be good experience.

thing47 · 21/12/2022 17:42

I think it's difficult to give a definitive answer without knowing what the internship is, and whether it's directly relevant to what she wants to do after graduating (assuming she knows!)

Wolfcub · 21/12/2022 17:46

Internship. The job market is tough at the moment

jayritchie · 21/12/2022 20:49

What is the internship and for what career path?

For example - not taking an internship in corporate law if that is an interest/ aspiration would be a considerable loss. Similarly if looking at accounting firms the summer schemes are a good route to a graduate job.

Original poster
bellylaughs · 22/12/2022 00:41

Thanks for all the opinions. It seems it’s almost an equal split 🤪
I should have said the internship isn’t a given, she hasn’t even applied yet. I think she said they come out after Christmas. She may not even get one.
I was speaking to a relative tonight who is is the grad recruitment business for a big firm and she advised only doing an internship over travel if it was in a specific area/company that DD is Interested in. In other words don’t blanket apply and don’t give up the travel option for something not specially interesting to you. She also emphasised that a good summer job independent of internships Is always a big plus on your CV especially if in an area any way relevant to the future career. She said this plus the month of travel could be a good alternative to the internship.

OP posts:
Needmoresleep · 22/12/2022 06:31

Internships can be very competitive. She should apply. The application process will be good training for her job search next year. And if she lands one, that is decision made. If she does not, again decision made.

Certainly in finance, and probably elsewhere, internships often lead to jobs. Good and relevant work experience is also valuable. Travelling would be more fun, but at this point she should take to opportunity to build her CV. (And probably won’t land one anyway.)

Xenia · 22/12/2022 08:03

Most people who apply for the good internships don't get them so she might want to do loads of applicatinos for those and if does get one (which may well be unlikely) then come back to the UK for that week . I am not sure how long they last but for law for example (my area) they are about 1 week or 2 weeks and paid at £450 a week so easily fit around a 2 month summer university break with loads of time for travel too.

Lcb123 · 22/12/2022 08:05

Travel all the way. She can work during term time or another holiday. I never did any internships and have done well career wise

Workerbeep · 22/12/2022 08:15

Internship.
interships are very competitive. My dc has applied to about a dozen and has managed to secure one. The process takes up a lot of time.

I would disagree what your neighbour says that a good summer job (not sure what the criteria is for that) is better than a summer internship.
she could travel if she doesn’t get an internship.

Not a popular opinion but…travel is awful for the environment and climate change, I’m surprised students are still into it.