So what are you doing over Christmas? Going away? A bit of sightseeing? A family holiday? Or maybe you haven't got that much planned except for curling up on your couch with your newly purchased advent calendar for some well deserved rest. All of the above seem like reasonable ways to spend your Christmas holiday. In that case, perhaps Candice So of Carleton University is not a reasonable individual. During her Christmas holiday, she will be doing a 'winternship' at Globe and Mail in Toronto. Maybe not the ideal way to spend a Christmas holiday, but that depends on who you ask and it is certainly some food for thought.
The Ottowa resident will be staying in a hotel for half of the internship and spending the rest of the month at her friend's place. Candice accepts that this a rather expensive venture but she feels it may give her an edge in an increasingly competitive market for graduate jobs. She is also quite excited about the opportunity and describes it as being 'A big thing for her'. Fortunately, her parents are planning on visiting her during her 'winternship' so she won't be spending the holiday alone.
Although 'winternships' are not as common and occasionally not as well structured as the conventional summer or spring internships, it is still undoubtedly a very positive addition to your overall profile. Furthermore, internships during this period often face less competition and it can also be a great example of passion for a chosen sector or general initiative. Gaining work experience remains a crucial element of the university package and this could very well be what could later come to distinguish Candice So from her peers. So although most would probably prefer to relax during the Christmas period, it's hard to deny that this is time equally well spent. It's a great example of a student taking the necessary steps to create internship opportunities for themselves. Or more simply put, when there's a will, there's a way.
Charles, GRB Journalist
