Summer Internships Outside the Cubicle

When most people think about summer internships, automatically thoughts of sitting in a cubicle with a ringing phone while wearing a suit or dress crosses their mind. In reality, this is not always and does not have to be the case. Think outside of the cubicle for summer internships.

For some students, the cubicle or office setting is not how they imagined spending their summer or career. Certain industries naturally lend themselves to being “out of the office” types of careers, with work occurring either on-site or mainly through meetings and networking. While thinking about potential summer internships or possible professions, it is important to factor in all of the aspects of your future career to ensure that it is a good fit for you. 

Below are a few potential careers that are typically “out of the office” summer internships:

Construction Manager

As the link between the client and the workers, construction managers are in charge of the construction site and the development of the project. The nature of this profession lends itself to being on the job site daily, interacting with engineers, plumbers, carpenters, and electricians, to mention a few. Your role as an intern will be to gain on-the-site experience and to assist with all of the challenges of running and keeping a major construction job on time and on budget. For a career in construction management, summer internships are available at companies like Turner Construction or a government agency, such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Environmental Engineer

If you passionate about the environment and don’t mind getting your hands dirty, environmental engineering may be a good match. Since there is typically a lot of site work to be done, many environmental engineers spend a bulk of their time outside and at their job sites. Summer internships in environmental engineering might not necessarily mean that you're going to spend all your time in a hard hat, many interns report having spent hours outside in the field. Be sure to check local engineering firms to see if they speciailize in environmental engineering and start the application process early.

Real Estate Agent

If you consider yourself to a be a people person and you enjoy networking, a career in real estate might be perfect for you. Summer internships in real estate can range from commerical to residential - meaning you can do everything from personal houses to office buildings to industrial warehouses. No matter your preference for clients or properites, look for summer internships with companies that specialize in your industry of choice. Although you can't legally show space or interact too much with clients, you can shadow agents to see how they work with clients and conduct research about properties. This is a great way to see if the out of office career is right for you, begin networking, and hopefully secure a job after graduation.

Summer Internships Outside

Although this list is simply a start, it is important to think about which environment and setting is best for you. If you are looking for open skies and a frequent change of scenery, it is important to try to find a career that matches your personal goals. Summer internships weren't necessarily meant to be spent inside and these were just a few that have potential to be "out of the cubicle" internships.