Now that the holidays are almost over, it's time for college students to come out of their food-induced comas and to start thinking about their summer plans. Yes, that means that the pressure has now arrived to seriously look for the dreaded, usually unpaid, summer internship. Here are some of the things I have noticed during my internship search thus far:

Internships, internships everywhere:

So far, there has definitely been no shortage of internships, even though I'm majoring in the humanities. I've made a list of multiple companies looking for any publishing, editing, writing or PR interns. Just doing a quick search on your university's career center website or on web sites specifically made for internships will give you a place to start. After finding all of these internships, it seems like it would be simple to land a summer internship, but it is extremely, sometimes deceptively, competitive.

The experience paradox:

On so many of these internship listings, I have read that the employer wants the applicant to specifically have previous internships or experience doing the same tasks that the applicant would be doing at his or her time as an intern. And while I understand that companies want to minimize the risk they take when they hire college interns as much as they can, not having any previous internship experience does not necessarily mean that the applicant cannot perform well on the job. For instance, although I have not had any professional internship experience yet, I have worked at three jobs, and although they are not directly related to the career that I want in the future, they have taught me the importance of communication and responsibility.

The minimum GPA requirement:

Depending on the company, many employers also ask their applicants to have a minimum GPA. Some require a 3.0 while others require as high as a 3.5, which will start to make you question why you didn't try harder in that one general ed class. While GPA is important and can be a reflection of hard work and dedication, a GPA that doesn't quite make the cut-off shouldn't automatically dismiss an applicant; a number does not determine whether or not an applicant will be a good fit for a company.

The waiting game:

After getting over these hurdles and finding the right company, it's time to polish up your resume and write a great cover letter, in addition to obtaining any references or letters of recommendation. Then the hardest part comes: waiting for any sign that the company is interested in your application. I have found that the most frustrating part of this process is a common part of business culture - when a "no" means no response.

Try, try again:

Although finding an internship can be frustrating and sometimes feel hopeless, the most important thing is to keep applying. There are so many businesses out there and they all have different corporate environments; you are bound to get a call back from one of them!