What do you do when your internship is canceled? College students need to get creative and adapt this summer

What do you do when your internship is canceled? College students need to get creative and adapt this summer

CNBC's "College Voices 2020" is a series written by CNBC summer interns from universities across the country about coming of age, launching new careers and job hunting during a global pandemic. They're finding their voices during a time of great social change and hope for a better future. What money issues are they facing? How are they navigating their student loans? How are they getting work experience, networking and applying for jobs when so many opportunities have been canceled or postponed? How important is diversity and a company's values to Gen Z job seekers? This series will be published every Tuesday and Thursday. 

The coronavirus pandemic caused a lot of employers to rethink or pause their hiring plans. That left many college students scrambling to figure out what to do as summer internships were canceled and job offers rescinded or postponed.

More than one-third of college students had their internship canceled, according to a survey of students in April by career platform Handshake. Another 24 percent said their internships were still going to happen but would now be virtual, which poses its own challenges for networking and impressing the boss.

Instead of just sitting home and feeling defeated about a canceled internship, career