Entrepreneurship, Start-ups, Social Enterprise
Industry-Specific Insights
- Reach out to Vanderbilt alumni and ask those who have launched their own organizations if they’ve ever considered hiring interns.
- Attend local startup meetings and meetups, review resources, and join entrepreneurship challenges. Nashville has a robust entrepreneurial community and is supportive of start-ups.
- Since social enterprise combines business and social purpose, gaining experience in either or both sectors would be helpful. Use summers to explore internships in nonprofit or philanthropic organizations.
- Opportunities in some areas of marketing, for example, often require these qualities. So, if you’re not ready to start your own business, look for options where you can take on equivalent responsibilities.
- There is no timeline or typical job search for entrepreneurs. The best way to really test your interest in startups is to talk to a successful entrepreneur or get on-the-job training.
- With high competition and limited jobs in social enterprise, the best way to obtain experience is often through networking. Reach out to Vanderbilt alumni through LinkedIn or the Vanderbilt alumni network VUconnect Go to networking meetings and consider joining a social enterprise professional association.
- View our Career Planning Guide & Internship Orientation Guide. Here is an accessible PDF: Internship Orientation Guide.
Job Boards
Industry-Specific Job Boards
Recommended Resources
The resources below are a combination of general industry information as well as specific job and internship posting sites for this industry.
- Dice
- Idealist
- NextBillion Career Center
- Tech Generation
- 10 Tips to Land a Startup Job
- AngelList
- Commongood Careers
- Dice
- Give to Get Jobs
- Good Magazine: Advice for Social Enterprise Jobseekers
- Idealist
- Justmeans Jobs
- Mashable Job Board
- Net Impact
- NextBillion Career Center
- Skoll Community Jobs Board
- Starthub
- Starting a Career in Social Enterprise: a Blog Guide
- StartUpHire
- The Muse
- VentureFizz
- VentureLoop
Resources for Entrepreneurship:
- 10 Video Resources Every Entrepreneur Should Know
- 500 Startups
- An Entrepreneurial Life
- Ashoka
- CandidCareer
- Careers-in-business
- Entrepreneur
- Entrepreneur’s Organization
- Gaebler
- MindTools
- Startup Journal
- S. Small Business Administration
Resources for Startups:
Resources for Social Enterprise:
Professional Associations
A professional association is an organization of people who have similar career interests. These membership-based organizations often offer a reduced rate for students that allow access to the many resources they provide. Professional association websites can also offer job/internship databases as well as opportunities to find mentors or other contacts.
- National Association for the Self-Employed
- National Association of Women Business Owners
- National Federation of Independent Business
- United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Company & Industry Research
- Business Insights: Essentials
- Buzzfile
- D&B Hoovers
- Fairygodboss
- Glassdoor
- Summer Experience Database
- PayScale
Start Networking