Registration Open: Career Workshops and Coaching Sessions to Propel Your Internship Search

Photo of student on tablet sitting on bench with text for Career Workshops and Coaching Sessions Registration is Open

You’re ready to get an internship and we’re here to support you!

For Wave-Makers within Career Readiness Tier 3, you’re required to apply to at least five internships, AKA the “5 Internship Challenge” task.

Why? Because internships provide valuable work experience, help you develop essential skills, and provide a meaningful step towards your future career.

How? It often takes between 20-30 applications to land an interview. We know, it’s a lot! Persistence and a proactive approach – and using your resource – make all the difference.

What? We’ve put together a series of workshops, working sessions, and 1-1 career coaching options to meet you where you are!

Tier 3 Wave-Makers are prioritized but all are welcome. Secure your spot and let’s get to work!

Opportunities available to you during February and March

Working sessions

1:1 meetings

Resources


✅ Ready, Set, Focus: An Internship Application Working Session

There’s no time better than now to take action and tackle those internship applications! Your future self will thank you. 

This informal, virtual session hosted by Career Development Manager Kaitlyn Endo, is designed to help you complete your Making Waves internship challenge goal: finding and applying to at least five internships.

Whether you’re just getting started or need a boost to stay on track, this is your chance to gain an accountability buddy and work on applications in a supportive, distraction-free space

Login to get guidance, ask questions, and even find the encouragement you need to keep moving forward. The job market can be overwhelming, and everyone’s career journey is different. The key is starting – and we’re here to help you make that happen! 

Let’s use this time together to navigate your search and build your confidence. Why? Because internships are a game-changer – they provide hands-on learning experiences, new connections, confidence in your skills, and often a paycheck! 

Key take-aways

  • Tackle your to-do list: Leave the workshop having found and made progress on applying to five internships, moving closer to your career goals. 
  • Gain accountability: Work in a distraction-free environment with resources and guidance available from a career expert. 
  • Get a boost: Gain resources, encouragement, and even a place to vent. 
  • Ask questions: Get real-time answers and feedback to make your applications stand out. 

Choose one of the following to attend

Please register 24 hours in advance to secure your spot.

February 7

12:00-1:30 PM

February 21

12:00-1:30 PM

March 26

4:30-6:00 PM

You’ve got what it takes to find and land an internship or job – let’s make it happen together! This informal, virtual workshop, hosted by Career Development Manager Kaitlyn Endo, is designed to support you in starting, refining, or keeping your job search moving.  

  • First, we’ll review the basics: where to look for opportunities, what to look for, and how to stay organized.
  • Then, we’ll take action: setting up your internship and job search tracker, brainstorming strategies, and starting or continuing your search together.  

The truth is: everyone’s career journey is unique, and the job market can be overwhelming. That’s why we’re here to help you take the next step. No matter where you’re starting from, our Making Waves team is here to help you break through barriers, gain skills, find the resources you need, and build your network. 

Why? Because internships are a game-changer – they provide hands-on learning experiences, new connections, confidence in your skills, and often a paycheck! 

Key take-aways

  • Understand the basics: Learn where and how to look for internships and jobs. 
  • Define your focus: Understand how to clarify your career interests and goals to find roles that align. 
  • Stay organized: Use our job search tracker to stay on top of applications, deadlines, and follow-ups. 
  • Be efficient: Gain tips for prioritizing opportunities, using your network, and maximizing your job search. 
  • Real-time support: Start or continue your search during the workshop with support from a career coach. 

Choose one of the following to attend

Please register 24 hours in advance to secure your spot.

February 10

3:30-4:30 PM

March 5

3:30-4:30 PM

March 21

12:00-1:00 PM


⭐ 1:1 meeting with a career readiness expert

Prefer meeting 1:1? Kaitlyn Endo, Career Development Manager at Making Waves, is a career readiness expert and is allocating meeting blocks specifically for internship related support.

Here are some examples of topics that could be covered:

  • Review application materials (resume and cover letter)
  • Learn how to target your application materials
  • Create an internship application strategy
  • Discuss strategies to get organized
  • Go over tips on how to give yourself the best chance to land an interview
  • Get support with how to start – what to search, where to search, etc.
  • Brainstorm types of career opportunities that make sense for you
  • Get support on how to deal with rejection

Feel free to bring all your internship related questions to the table. Navigating the application process isn’t always easy. This is why Kaitlyn is here to help!

There are a limited number of meetings each day, and are on a first come, first serve basis. Book a meeting sooner rather than later!

February 1 – March 31st

Resources


💰 Grants to fund unpaid internship

We are also pleased to share that a limited number of grants will be awarded to Wave-Makers who complete unpaid internship opportunities. 

Eligibility

  • Must be enrolled full time in previous term / plan to enroll full time in the following term
  • Must be in good standing with Making Waves program
  • Must have a written offer for an unpaid opportunity prior to applying for grant funding

If there are special circumstances that prevent you from meeting eligibility listed above, please reach out to Kaitlyn Endo (kendo@making-waves.org) to discuss further.

Check this page to see how to apply!

Priority deadline is March 31st, 2025. Applicants will be evaluated on a first come, first serve basis. Announcements will be made no later than April 4th.

NOTE: You can also check to see if your school has similar funding opportunities. Some examples include Tulane’s NewComb-Tulane College Career Services Internship Fund, Stanford’s Rising Bird Fellows, University of Washington’s Baldasty & Beam Scholarship.

Have an idea for an unpaid internship that doesn’t exist yet? Here’s a form you can utilize to proactively seek and create opportunities for yourself.


🌐 Leveraging your Making Waves network and resources

Here are four ways to leverage your network with Making Waves!

  • Join the Wave Maker Network on LinkedIn – we post opportunities to this page every single day.
  • Check out the Making Waves Job & Internship Board – a live job and internship board that’s updated weekly. It also includes a list of companies that host internships every year, other specialized job boards, and more.
  • Check the new Making Waves Education Foundation website – there are tons of career related resources (see below)!
  • Reach out to folks at Making Waves – whether its your Coach, Kaitlyn from the Early Career & Alumni Team, or other staff members – we’re all here to support your career pursuits. You never know who someone might know.

More career resources


📱Communication

Whether communicating with your professors, your Making Waves Coach, or your manager, it’s always important to keep clear lines of communication. Throughout February and March, you’ll be hearing from Making Wave’s Early Career & Alumni Team in a variety of ways, including “Weekly Roundup” text messages, emails, and the Wave-Maker Newsletter. Don’t turn away, these are meant to help! We encourage you to stay engaged, responsive, and motivated. Completing your applications early will give you the best chance of finding the perfect summer internship.


📹 Video Resources

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About Making Waves Education Foundation

At Making Waves, we are committed to educational equity. Making Waves Education Foundation is a Bay Area nonprofit that supports Making Waves Academy – a public charter school with more than 1,100 5th through 12th grade students – and leads college and career programming with more than 430 college students.​

Knowing the opportunities that come with a college degree, we partner with historically underrepresented and underserved students to help make college affordable and graduation attainable. Centering the journeys of our students, our personalized approach includes college and career coaching, scholarships, and financial planning.​

Our alumni network includes more than 730 college graduates, who earn their degrees and land jobs at more than twice the rate of their first-generation, low-income peers, with 85% graduating debt-free.