“LinkedIn isn’t a real place”

They say two thousand zero zero, party over oops out of time.

One more week. April spells the end times for a St Andrews student. Like the final days of a holiday, many of us must reconcile with letting the days roll on. Cram as many Taste coffees, rounds of golf, rounds of pints, and beach days as you like. The end times are here. 

So tonight I’m gonna party like it’s nineteen ninety-nine.

Unfortunately, the party never ends. For some, St Andrews’ extended summer burdens students. James, an economics major, told me, “You definitely feel the pressure […] If you’re not travelling or delivering coffees in some random firm, you feel behind [...] A lot of people I know feel embarrassed if they’re spending parts of their summer doing nothing.” University burnout and social media exacerbate these worries. It’s even worse at other universities like LSE, the Loughborough of competitive internship farming. “It’s crazy,” Amin, a Geography student, mentioned. “There were so many people at fresher events with their phones out, asking for my LinkedIn before they knew my name.”

While nobody is trying to ‘connect’ in the 601 queue, the emphasis on corporate placements has certainly infiltrated our student culture. Increasingly, employers are valuing work experience over academic success. Whether academia is to blame for saturating top degrees, leaving students unprepared, or these coveted jobs are just becoming more competitive, the race is on. 

Summer applications open around Martinmas Semester, and for many, it is about quantity, not quality. Richard noted, “It’s pretty mind-numbing stuff. You input the same grades, the same CV, and attach a cover letter […] which, most of the time, you only change the date and name of the company you’re applying to.” There is an art in the process. Maximise volume, minimise effort. He continued, “The worst thing about it is that they don’t care about any of it. Often it comes down to who you know and not what you know.” Most application forms specify whether you know employees within the company. And while connections can hurt an application rather than improve it, company ties normally help. 

Another student said, “If all else fails, I’ll work for my father’s company or my father’s friend’s company. Better yet, I know people who use connections to lie about the internships completely and do nothing at all. As long as you don’t interfere, they don’t really care.” These students who use connections to their benefit often skip the formal application process. The question then remains: is there any value in these opportunities? He added, “I do it because it looks good on my CV […] I’d probably be doing something else if I wanted to, but everyone else is doing the same.”  

There are financial realities, of course. Emily, a first-year student, told me that “pressures to spend money were a shock to the system”. “Earning money is definitely a priority this year,” she said Most sub-honours internships are unpaid, and rightly, many would prefer money to experience. Going abroad is no different. Social media can highlight wealth divides between students depending on where you go and what you do. She added, “It will probably be the same as December […] It can be hard sometimes seeing people in these places, knowing that you can’t afford their experience.” 

St Andrews offers a lot of freedom for students, but it is still a university — there are deadlines, compulsory classes, and (perhaps arbitrary) breakfast times. Summer offers an opportunity for students to regain control over their lives. If you feel the pressure to maximise productivity outside of university, then the line between work and rest blurs.

Sophia, an Ancient History student, is finding more value this summer in the mundane. “I want to do it on my terms. I’ve missed my grandparents; I’ve missed my home. I want to abandon my phone and settle into a new routine without the stress of university and work [...] I know people working at summer camps, taking up kickboxing or going to the States for the first time to meet their new partners’ parents […] I just find that so much more valuable.”

Summer break allows students to prioritise themselves. There are more ways to develop than in a boardroom or on a boat. As exams loom, some R&R might just be the best motivator. LinkedIn isn’t a real place anyway.

Image credit: Creative Commons / Nan Palermo