\u201cWhat are you doing this summer?\u201d It\u2019s a question frequently asked around campus as students are in the midst of searching for summer opportunities.<\/p>\n
Four out of 10 times<\/a>, the answer is that the student has an internship.<\/p>\n In a Forbes article<\/a>, \u201cIs An Internship In College More Important Than The Degree Itself?\u201d Brandon Busteed said that internships have taken on more importance than a college degree.\u00a0<\/p>\n A study by Gallup-Purdue University<\/a> found that 71% of recent graduates working full-time had internships as undergraduates, whereas 56% of those who didn\u2019t have internships were employed full-time as recent graduates.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Forbes, internships and work-related experience have never been as important as they are now. In today\u2019s world, internships feel like a need for undergraduate students.\u00a0<\/p>\n Joseph Manzo, professor of accounting and advisor to Accounting Club, has been helping students land internships for 15 years. The Accounting Club prepares students for the accounting field through training and networking opportunities with business professionals.\u00a0<\/p>\n Over the years, Manzo observed students\u2019 struggles and successes with internships, calling the market a \u201cmoving target.\u201d<\/p>\n He said in the past three to four years, \u201cthere\u2019s been lots of upheaval and change (in the internship market).\u201d This \u201cupheaval\u201d is the result of a compounding supply-and-demand mismatch.\u00a0<\/p>\n The 2025 Internships Index<\/a> published by Handshake revealed that internship postings declined by more than 15% between January 2023 and January 2025, while applications increased by 7%.\u00a0<\/p>\n These conditions have constrained the internship market, causing the application process to be competitive, sporadic and difficult.<\/p>\n For business students, internships operate on a strict timeline that is enforced by large corporations deciding when to begin recruiting \u2014 for accounting specifically, Manzo said the Big Four (Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC) drive this timeline.<\/p>\n Students\u2019 goal is to obtain an internship for the summer after junior year. In the past, Manzo said, students would begin applying and interviewing around February of their sophomore year, securing an internship by April 1st for the following summer.<\/p>\n Now, he said, large companies have accelerated that process, starting before sophomore year, around mid-August, with applications closing at the end of September.\u00a0<\/p>\n When you come back to campus for your sophomore year, you have around three weeks to apply and interview for an internship,\u201d Manzo said. \u201cYou\u2019re making these choices probably before you\u2019ve even taken an accounting course.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n He expressed significant concerns about this, and said students are being recruited before fully knowing what they want to pursue. In some cases, he said this leads students to dislike their internships and ultimately reject full-time job offers.<\/p>\n Not only does the process start earlier, but Manzo said that where firms used to set aside spots for target schools, they now hire on a rolling basis, closing the positions once they\u2019re filled.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough Lehigh students compete well, if they don\u2019t apply early enough, other schools will push us out,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Therefore, Manzo said he always tells students the earlier they start looking, the better.\u00a0<\/p>\n This sentiment is echoed throughout Lehigh\u2019s Center for Career & Professional Development, whose staff are devoted to helping students with career preparedness. The center has three branches \u2014 career education, employer engagement and outcomes and operations \u2014 that collaborate to aid undergraduates.\u00a0<\/p>\n Karen Kuczynski, director of career education, stressed the importance of early career education. She said in the fall, her team presents in every first-year seminar to inform them about career preparation resources and encourage them to engage with the center.<\/p>\n Kuczynski said the career education team includes eight master\u2019s-level career professionals who are aligned with Lehigh\u2019s colleges, with unique integration of career preparation for each.<\/p>\n \u201cWith career education, the goal is to integrate it into the experience,\u201d Kuczynski said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to leave it to chance, and we believe every student deserves the opportunity to have all that information.\u201d<\/p>\n Kuczynski said professional skills are a prerequisite to obtaining an internship or job. For example, she said, students should learn the fundamentals of writing a resum\u00e9 and what employers are looking for before they begin applications.\u00a0<\/p>\n Katie Guynn, director of employer engagement for the past two years, serves as the direct point of contact for employers and creates opportunities for students and employers to connect.<\/p>\n Guynn said the content of their career education is built from direct feedback from employers.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSo much success in career development these days is connections, and Lehigh\u2019s network is super powerful in that,\u201d Guynn said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Guynn, Kuczynski and Manzo all agreed that Lehigh\u2019s alumni network is particularly strong, and students can connect with them through Lehigh Connects<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe really want students connecting with our alumni, because they were here in your shoes at one point and they know the value of a Lehigh degree,\u201d Kuczynski said. \u201cI cannot stress enough the importance of getting out there and talking to people within the field of your interest.\u201d<\/p>\n The Fall Career Expo is Lehigh\u2019s main networking event, which typically happens the third week of September. This year, 136 employers attended, and around 40% of them were alumni, Guynn said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Guynn said another aspect of the internship market is that both students and employers are raising the bar. Students want real, marketable experience, but that can be costly for employers to provide. On the employer\u2019s side, they want candidates with qualifications that match their roles and expectations.<\/p>\n Manzo said that the main reason employers hire for internships is to train people for full-time jobs, with around 90% of students getting return offers.\u00a0<\/p>\n But these factors raise expectations.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI am noticing that the rigor of what is required and expected of students for internships is increasing,\u201d Manzo said. \u201cDepending on the field you are applying to, some of them can be brutal.\u201d<\/p>\n