Strongly Worded

Foreign Territory

So I'm phasing into my foster job at the Very Prestigious School (VPS). I am working with science majors on career-related things. My first project consists of debriefing with students who just completed summer internships.

And let me tell you, it's foreign territory on so many levels.

The students are the children of soccer moms, and thus have been doing work/school/activities since they began preparing for college, which was shortly after preschool. When I asked one student whether her internship supervisor gave her adequate orientation, she rolled her eyes and said that the supervisor tried to teach her how to use a pipette [whatever that is], which, duh, she's been doing since ninth grade. In my college days (1995-1999), internships were still somewhat novel, and involved making copies and going to meetings and maybe kicking around a project or two. They were generally non- or low-paying and required little or no prior work experience. An internship was one of many acceptable summer options, which included lifeguarding or waitressing or camp counseling or activities that did not necessarily engage one's intellect or improve one's professional prospects.

Those days are gone. Now, internships are vital to one's professional survival, and the process is competitive. The science students at VPS (who admittedly comprise an elite cohort of the general population) apply to multiple internships. Some of them get multiple offers. Big companies fly them across the country for interviews. On their first day on the job, the interns receive "welcome baskets": fleeces, alarm clocks, messenger bags. They get mentors and substantive projects and tickets to sporting events and $12-$18 an hour. ($18/hr is the equivalent of $37K a year - and these are college sophomores.) One kid actually had his own assistant.

Adding to my culture shock is the fact that these students speak a different language. I ask them what they did over the summer, and all I can glean, even after their patient explanations, is that they did something nano-bio-chemical-technical, either in a lab or in a big company. The instant they get into detail, I glaze over.

And the last bit of evidence that I am a stranger in a strange land: their fixation on their work. A few students mentioned that internships had slack periods. When I asked what they did during those times (suggesting that perhaps they engaged in IM, email, blogging, online crosswords ...) they were genuinely surprised at the notion. Obviously, they read industry journals and science articles. Because they are genuinely passionate about nano-bio-chemical-technical topics.

I get wistful about all this. Upon graduation, many of these students will make twice as much as I do with my ten years of work experience. They will not have to endure demoralizing job searches; employers woo them. Society bestows prestige and respect upon them. And even better: they find their work completely fascinating.

I'm telling you, it's a whole other country, and I'd like to apply for citizenship.

Posted by Dori at 1:29 PM