It is now February, and UVa students have been back on Grounds for a couple of weeks. Just when we start getting back into the swing of the semester and all of its classes, auditions, and a Cappella "New Guy" parties, it is time to start thinking about applying for summer internships. Or, if you're an engineer, you've apparently been applying for internships since last September. In any event, applying for internships can be a chaotic, stressful time. If you've gotten deep into this process, you've probably experienced a wide range of emotions and thoughts en route to searching for that perfect internship that pays well, is located in exactly the most convenient location for you, and will set you on your preferred career path.
1. I can't decide which of my seven activities is special enough to make it onto my resume.
Like Hillary Clinton, you're probably an overachiever with more than enough resume material to qualify for a summer internship. However, now is the time to be concise.
2. This application is due in two days AND it requires a recommendation... Better send that email literally now.
Let's hope that your prof has an entire free day tomorrow, really likes you, or both.
3. I've written so many cover letters that the word "cover" doesn't even seem like a word anymore.
All of those "action" words you're taught to highlight on resumes and cover letters do blend together after a while.
4. All I've learned from this process is how to log in to several different online video chatting services for interviews.
Whether it's Skype, Google Hangout, WebEx, or some fourth website I don't know about, get used to making logins for these and similar websites if you want to have a lot of options of potential summer internships.
5. I solemnly swear that I will never have to do an unpaid summer internship.
Because surely, at age 19, I've moved past all productive life experiences that don't involve monetary compensation.
6. On second thought, what's three months without income if I get to build valuable professional skills like answering phones and filing papers?
Sadly, many summer internships are in fact unpaid. You're not taking a step back, you're just a college student in need of professional experience.
7. Maybe I should actually go to those resume and interview workshops the UVa Career Center is always posting about.
The Career Center here has many helpful resources for polishing up your internship applications, but their most helpful resource is their advising hours in Newcomb. Attending these will save you a long trek to Bryant Hall, which is located in the barren wasteland of the Scott Stadium parking lot.
8. I've applied to four internships and heard back from none of them, so I had better apply to seven more this weekend just to be safe.
Internships are like colleges, in that there's too many of them for you to adequately research all of the ones that you should apply to and they all ask more or less the same questions. Don't take too much time away from your classes on these apps, but do give them some love and make your time worthwhile.
9. How do all of my friends already know exactly what they're doing over the summer?
Deep down, we all slightly resent those high-achieving friends who figure out the exact trajectory of their summers early in the semester. Use the pro-activity of others to motivate you towards summer success!
10. I've resorted to procrastinating on my school work by researching internships for which I'm probably not qualified.
Spongebob tells it like it is. After one word of work or one quick glance through a website, it's always time to take a break.
11. Summer internship applications are so much work, when the heck is summer going to get here?
It is certainly important to focus on schoolwork, but now is not the time to get complacent about your summer plans. Sit tight, stretch your fingers, and finish working on all of those important documents that will determine the course of your summer. Your resume and bank account will thank you later. Or, at the very least, you'll definitely thank yourself later for working hard on marketing yourself now.
