Already Thinking about Next Summer!

Hey guys! Lots has happened since last week, mostly I am on the hunt for what to do next summer. I worked at Abbott Laboratories this past summer and it was a blast. However, I think I have come to a crossroads for my Junior summer. There is the options to get another internship, go on Viterbi Study Abroad, or apply to be a Global Fellow and try to get an internship in a foreign country. It is so hard to decide. But before we go into that it is time for the picture of the week:

That’s me in the smurf costume. Let me explain ….

This weeks picture of the week comes straight from high school. Our class color was blue so naturally I thought to buy a smurf costume and become our class mascot. What? This isn’t this first thing you would think to do? It seemed like the obvious thing to do in my mind, dancing at pep rallys and athletic games was a blast in the costume. Now onto the good stuff, my current thoughts on what to do next summer.

Internship Options: I absolutely love working and applying the concepts I learn in school to real world situations. In addition, I really do enjoy the corporate world and learning how a business functions. Plus you get to learn a lot about professionalism, networking, and job functions by working in industry, However, since getting a return offer from Abbott I now have the choice on whether I would want to go back to work in the biotech industry, whether I would like to try out another company in the biotech sector, or try out consulting, a field that it hired by companies to help solve their high-level problems, for the biotech / medical sector. So much to think about and that is why I am trying hard this semester to meet with a lot of companies, through events put on by Viterbi Career Services, and see how their work environment is and if I think it would be worthwhile to work their for the summer and possibly have a career with them after college.

Another Internship is always enticing. Here is me and some coworkers from Abbott.

Viterbi Study Abroad: A once in a lifetime opportunity! I don’t know how I could pass an opportunity like this up. Professors from Viterbi accompany you to awesome places like Madrid, Florence, and many others and you take engineering classes there for the summer. Many of my friends have gone on the program and say it is an awesome experience. Check out Gavin, Natalie, and Kat and their experiences with study abroad. I have heard that it is a must do in college and I don’t want to pass an opportunity like this up.

But then I could go to some beautiful place like Rome, Florence, Madrid or a variety of others and have the time of my life too.

Global Fellows:  Global Fellows is an internship program run by the USC Career Center and it is a pretty competitive application process. Once you apply to this program you will be interviewed at least two times before a decision is made on whether or not you will be a USC Global Fellow. Any majors are encouraged to apply and if you become a Global Fellow, USC then seeks out competitive companies in places like Beijing, Japan, Hong Kong, Seoul, SIngapore, Taipei, Tokyo and partners with them in order to give you a stipend so you can work there for the summer while exploring a usually new country and submerging yourself in a new culture. It is a great program and I have a friend in my fraternity that just got back and said it was one of the best things he has done thus far in his life.

Then there is always the Global Fellows Program. I would love to work in Japan for the summer!

I am contemplating a lot right now. What do you think I should do? Help me out by commenting below.

Well I am off to participate in Phi Delt FIFA, our annual philanthropy to support the ALS Association, and then the Viterbi Career Conference as part of a student panel about my internship at Abbott last summer. The afternoon consists of three student panels, alumni panels, lots of workshops like resume workshops and interviewing workshops, and a dinner to network with conference participants. After that I am heading out to my girlfriend’s invite. The theme is “Old Hollywood” and if you didn’t know, I take my themes very literally. Wait until you see the pictures!

Have a great weekend and see you next Friday!

Now Playing: Don’t Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia with Let You Go by DJ Topsider on deck.