Over the years, I've gotten a version of this call more times than I can count.

A family friend reaches out — maybe someone I haven't talked to in a while. We catch up briefly, then they get to the real reason:

"My kid is looking for an internship. I know you've hired a lot of people. Any chance you could just talk to them? Maybe connect them with someone?"

My answer has always been yes.

Not because I had an open position. I just genuinely love talking to these young people — I always want to help. And because I know that most internships — especially the good early ones — are born exactly that way. Not from a job board. From a phone call.

Let's be direct: if your college junior doesn't have a summer internship secured yet, it's probably too late for a big company.

Most corporate programs filled their spots months ago — applications opened in the fall, interviews happened over winter break, offers went out by January or February.

That pipeline is closed for this cycle.

And it's not just timing. Corporations have been tightening internship classes for several years. Entry-level hiring has softened across multiple sectors. Recent college graduates are facing roughly 42% underemployment — meaning nearly half are working in jobs that don't require a bachelor's degree. That's near post-2008 levels. Internships are the feeder system for the roles that beat those odds.

Add in AI-driven efficiency and cost pressure, and companies simply need fewer junior hands than they used to.

If your kid has been grinding through that funnel and hasn't landed anything: it's not them. The funnel is just narrower.

The pivot now is smaller companies and far more aggressive outreach.

Local businesses don't run on the same calendar. Many haven't even thought about summer interns yet. A motivated student who shows up in March with energy and a specific ask can absolutely land something meaningful.

But the right word is aggressive. Not next week. This week.

For freshmen and sophomores: take note. The timeline for competitive internships starts the fall before the summer you want to work. If your kid is a sophomore and wants something strong before senior year, the clock starts this coming September — not next spring.

One of the most underrated pieces of career advice:

Local businesses are criminally overlooked as internship sites.

At a large corporation, an intern might spend a summer updating spreadsheets inside a narrow lane.

At a regional marketing agency, a construction firm, a logistics company, a nonprofit, or a family-owned operation, that same student might run a project, sit in on real decisions, or build something tangible from scratch.

Small organizations don't have layers of insulation. Interns are closer to the work and closer to decision-makers. That pressure accelerates growth.

From a hiring manager's perspective: when I see a small-business internship where the candidate can clearly explain what they built, solved, or improved, it signals initiative. It signals someone who didn't wait for prestige — they pursued experience.

And in this labor market, experience beats logos.

Some small-business internships are unpaid. That's a reality.

If your family has financial runway — or academic credit available — an unpaid role can be valuable. But here's the filter: only consider it if there is clear mentorship, defined work, and visible output. Free labor isn't the goal. Skill acceleration is.

The honest question is simple: Will this generate a concrete story I can tell in an interview?

If yes, it's worth serious consideration. Employers never see the pay rate on a résumé. They see what was built, improved, or learned.

These are specific. Some are old-fashioned. All of them work.

1. Map your family's professional network — on paper. List former colleagues, vendors, accountants, dentists, contractors, neighbors who run businesses. Don't assume they can't help. Ask.

2. Send an actual letter. A one-page professional letter — not an email — to five or ten local business owners your kid genuinely admires. Introduce. Explain. Ask specifically. Hand delivery works. Almost no one does this anymore. That's precisely why it stands out.

3. Target the businesses behind the businesses. Accounting firms. Printing operations. Logistics companies. Insurance agencies. These "unsexy" businesses are everywhere — and rarely receive cold outreach from students.

4. Ask for a shadowing day instead of an internship. Lower friction. Bigger door. A one-day observation often turns into a project. A project becomes a résumé line.

5. Use LinkedIn to find alumni working locally. Search the college plus your city. Target graduates 5–15 years out. Specific, thoughtful outreach — not templates — gets responses.

6. Create the internship proposal. Research a local company. Identify a real problem. Write a one-page proposal outlining how your kid could help — social media audit, customer survey, process documentation, website refresh. You're not asking for a job. offering a solution. That mindset shift matters.

Here's a great little article I really enjoyed about local internships: How to Land Your First Internship with a Small Business

Nearly half of recent college graduates are underemployed. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York tracks this closely — their labor market data consistently shows the underemployment rate for recent college graduates hovering around 40–43%, meaning they're working in jobs that don't require a degree. That number has barely budged in years. 📌 Meaning: The stakes for early career experience are real. Internships — even local, unglamorous ones — are a proven on-ramp to roles that actually use a degree. Students who skip them face steeper odds.

The advice is shifting toward smaller targets. College Raptor's guide to summer 2026 internships explicitly steers students toward industry-specific and local opportunities — and strongly advises starting earlier than ever. 📌 Meaning: Waiting for a brand-name portal offer is a losing strategy. The students landing meaningful experiences this summer moved down the ladder of prestige and up the ladder of responsibility. Responsibility compounds. (Source: College Raptor – Your Guide to Summer 2026 Internships by Industry)

Lead with curiosity, not pressure:

"Have you thought about going a different direction — maybe something local where you'd get real responsibility? What kind of business would you actually find interesting to see from the inside?"

Let them answer. Once they name something, quietly scan your network. Chances are you know someone closer to that world than you realize.

Every job tells a story.

When I review a young person's work history — and I've reviewed thousands — I'm looking for evidence of showing up, learning from adults, solving problems, and handling responsibility.

I've found that signal in hardware stores. In small-town accounting firms. In family-run operations most people have never heard of.

The brand name on the résumé fades. The story of what they built doesn't.

A local internship isn't settling. It's strategic.

Point your kid toward the door that's actually open. Then help them walk through it.

Heading out now to patronize local businesses…

Barry

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