Choosing the right path after high school isn't easy. With countless options, it's natural to feel lost. But here's the good news: you're not alone. We've gathered insights from high school students who've completed internships with PathSpark—our career planning program for high school students. Their experiences offer a roadmap for those of you starting your own internship and career search.

1. Start Early and Stay Organized

Many students in the group emphasize getting a head start on their internship search.

Joshua Cohen, a senior at Masterman High School, shares, "The biggest piece of advice that I have for people looking for internships and opportunities in high school is to be open and flexible. There are going to be opportunities that appear that may seem out of your comfort zone, but you have to realize that every opportunity is a chance to learn something new—to grow."

Cieun Lee, a senior at Centennial High School, echoes this, advising, "Start finding internships and summer programs (by the latest) the winter before the internship/program begins."

Highlighting the importance of deadlines, Vera Awodele, a first-year student at Towson University, stresses that procrastination can be costly, stating, "You can never start too early. But you can always be too late, so keep track of deadlines religiously."

2. Cast a Wide Net, But Fish Smart

The students also highlight the value of keeping an open mind and tapping into various resources during the internship search. This approach can uncover hidden opportunities and expand prospects.

Joshua Cohen encourages students to "put yourself out there and create opportunities for yourself."

This can involve reaching out to companies directly, as Cieun Lee from Centennial High School suggests. Lee recommends not only relying on popular online platforms, but also "scavenging a company's website, emailing the marketing recruiter, and taking the initiative."

Shravan Suresh, a senior at Monta Vista High School, reminds us of the power of networking: "Utilize your contacts from school and the community since networking is a great asset."

3. Tailor Your Approach

The group also emphasizes the significance of fine-tuning the internship search and application strategies.

Shravan Suresh advises, "First, give your interests and abilities some thought. Finding your strengths will help you find opportunities that are in line with your interests."

Dev Thaker, a senior at South Brunswick High School, emphasizes the value in "tailored searches and appealing apps," explaining, "Combining broad and particular searches is useful since it opens up unexpected yet intriguing possibilities."

Benita Benjamin, a senior at Hightower High School, shares a similar approach, "One of the most important things that I learned...is that it is always important to start researching earlier so you won't miss the deadline. It is good to start with general search and then to move forward with more specific search."

This personalized approach can help students discover opportunities that truly resonate with their interests and skills, while also making their applications stand out.

Searching Tips

Nadia Petersen, a first-year student at Yale University, recommends using narrow search queries, "Instead of searching for 'high school internships 20XX', try 'high school sophomore language internships' or 'high school marketing intern 12th grade'."

Megan Patel, a senior at Centennial High School, suggests tapping into local resources, "Reach out to your local community also! There are a lot of small organizations by teenagers that often don't have websites that you can get involved in."

Alyssa Grace, a senior at Lee Academy, advises on refining searches, "I refined my search with words like 'remote', 'in-person (or in a specific state)', and with focuses like STEM, engineering, art, etc. The more specific your search is, the less resources you'll have to sift through."

Location Considerations

Maria Rutter, a senior at Academic Magnet High School, states, "It is important to consider your location in internship searching, certain locations have many more internship opportunities in specific fields of interest than others so you should take note of that."

Exploring University Offerings

Sagun Patel, a junior at Northeast Guilford High School, shares another strategy, "Another option to look for internships is through university websites. Simply choose a university or college and look through their high school options."

4. Build Relationships, Not Just Resumes

Students in the group offering advice repeatedly highlight the invaluable role of networking and relationship-building in their internship journeys. These strategies not only open doors to opportunities but also create a supportive community that can guide and inspire students throughout their career.

Mayank B., a senior at Atlantic Coast High School, emphasizes confidence and seeking guidance, "Be confident when networking and take advice from experts."

Ella Moore, a senior at Academic Magnet High School recounts this valuable lesson, "The greatest piece of advice I took away from this experience came from my first day of orientation where all the district interns were informed that the entire purpose of the internship program was to build relationships."

Lauren Churchill, a junior at Palm Harbor University High School, gave tips on leveraging connections, "If you don't know where to start looking for opportunities, you can look at recent high school graduates' profiles on places like LinkedIn."

Beyond networking, Feng Yi Yang, a senior at The High School for Math, Science and Engineering, suggests YouTube, "You can always search on YouTube for a day-in-the-life of a ____. By using a Discord listing website like DISBOARD or discadia, you can also join a Discord server to ask questions to the professionals in the job."

5. Work Towards “Yes”

The process of figuring out plans after high school can be challenging, but perseverance is important.

Ameliya Gerlt, a first-year student at Missouri State University, advises, "Don't be discouraged by rejection or lack of responses. Job hunting can be tough, but perseverance pays off."

Remember—every 'no' is just a step closer to the right 'yes'.

Your Future Starts Now

These students aren't just looking for internships—they're redefining what it means to kickstart a career. They're strategists, networkers, and innovators all before they've even graduated high school.

Their advice boils down to this:

→ Start early, but don't panic

→ Cast a wide net, but fish smart

→ Tailor your approach

→ Build relationships, not just resumes

→ Stay resilient in the face of setbacks

But here's the real takeaway: success isn't about following a perfect formula. It's about taking that first step, learning from each experience, and constantly refining your approach.

You don't need to have it all figured out. You just need to start.

So, what's your next move? Will you reach out to that company you've been eyeing? Start building your professional network on LinkedIn? Or maybe dive into some YouTube videos to explore potential career paths?

Whatever you choose, remember this: every action you take today is shaping your tomorrow. The internship or career of your dreams isn't going to fall into your lap—you've got to go out and create the opportunity yourself.

Don't wait for the perfect moment. The time to start is now. Your future self is counting on you.