Eight summer interns who beat the recession
These college students may be facing the worst job market ever, but that hasn't stopped them from landing some cool gigs this summer.
Robbie Zhang-Smitheram, age 19
Company: Ridge Asia
Location: Singapore
Summer in Singapore has been everything Robbie Zhang-Smitheram hoped for, and more. At Ridge Asia, a startup consulting firm that helps Western companies enter Asia's markets, the rising Bowdoin College junior has worked closely with the firm's founder, a Bowdoin alum who listed the internship through the school.
Among the summer's highlights: Zhang-Smitheram redesigned Ridge Asia's logo and website, which launches later this summer, and he regularly showcases his language skills speaking Mandarin to CEOs of Chinese companies on behalf of the firm's clients.
"A lot of things I have done here I would not have been able to do in the States," he says. "There's no sign of the economy slowing down here, and this translates into opportunities." Zhang-Smitheram has even been able to take advantage of the city's "sweet nightlife," which motivated him to start deejaying.
The experience in Singapore has been so inspiring, in fact, that Zhang-Smitheram has convinced his boss and parents to let him extend his stay a few extra weeks.
NEXT: Melissa Zonne, age 20
