More companies adding internships as economic recovery crawls along
With diplomas no longer guaranteeing full-time jobs for college students, unique post-graduate plans are popping up everywhere.
This year alone, many companies have started post-grad internship programs, many of which involve social media, in response to the increased interest from college students in obtaining such positions.
Karen Gee-McAuley, a public relations representative for the Monster Energy Ultimate Internship Search said the company envisioned their internship as a way to join their consumers and fans with the business side of Monster as well as the athletes and musicians sponsored by the company.
“This is the first time Monster has had this internship. The company was inspired by their 15 million Facebook friends and fans who post stories about living the Monster lifestyle and participation in Monster events. The internship will connect fans even closer to the things that Monster epitomizes like ‘living life on the edge’ while still giving the interns valuable work experience,” Glee-McAuley said.
And that experience is desperately needed: Reports from MSNBC, a team of researchers at Northeastern University, economist Paul Harrington and the Economic Policy Institute reported that the employment rate of recent graduates is dismal.
Here are the numbers to know from these researchers as reported by MSNBC:
53.6 percent: The percentage of bachelor's degree-holders under the age of 25 who were jobless or underemployed last year.
1.5 million people: The numerical translation of the 53.6 percent, the highest number in at least 11 years.
750,000: The number of bachelor’s degree holders under the age of 25 who are underemployed and working in occupations that require only a high school diploma, like the food service industry, in office related secretarial jobs and retail clerks.
Internships are offering college students some hope, however.
Michael Erwin, a senior manager at careerbuilder.com, supports internships as a device that helps both potential employers and employees.
“There are so many students who are desperate to get experience, and companies see internships as a way of filling vacant posts,” Erwin told the Columbia Missourian.
Gee-McAuley echoes Erwin’s sentiment and believes Monster Energy’s internship was a smart move for the company.
“It’s really wonderful to work with college students because they don’t have jaded blinders on and want the work experience. Plus, since Monster Energy’s core demographic is 18-24 year olds, a college-aged internship really makes sense,” Gee-McAuley said.
The two Monster Energy Ultimate Interns will work as Social Media Ambassadors at events like XGames 18, Vans Warped Tour 2012 and Street League DC Pro Tour. Interns will be paid in addition to receiving financial compensation for their travel expenses.
Monster Energy employed social media as the main vehicle for the internship application.
To apply, college students upload a one-minute video to Monster Energy’s Facebook page that explains why the applicant fits the Monster Energy lifestyle and should be chosen as the ultimate intern.
On June 10th six finalists will be selected based on an evaluation of the Monster Energy staff. These six finalists will then travel to Monster Energy’s headquarters in Corona, California to compete in a week’s worth of Monster Energy-themed challenges in an effort to win the two intern positions.
“The internship will be a time for the interns to get immersed into Monster Energy and really understand the company’s culture allowing them to unleashin their ‘inner Monster’,” Gee-McAuley said.
Monster’s decision to create an internship has been well received by its fans. Since the start of the application on April 9th, Monster Energy has received over 900 applications and the company hopes for many more.
Kendall Bitonte is a Fall 2011 USA TODAY Collegiate Correspondent. You can learn more about her here.
This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.