Internships, A.K.A. it is time to start adulting.
Throughout high school, many people had part time jobs, which is only the first step in the long list of jobs one may have. These could also be the only thing you can add to your resume that provides credible talking points.
Internships are the next step. Some colleges require you have internship credit to graduate, which can be extremely stressful. When you need an internship to graduate, it becomes a race against time.
Synchronizing the time you receive an internship and the semester you want the credit to take place can be extremely nerve racking and the preparation needs to start early.
The first step in the process that can create stress is the prep work. Creating a functioning LinkedIn page and appropriate resume can be a bit of a challenge if this is your first internship. Helpful resources include your advisors, professors, and any other professional contacts you may have. If your school has an internship center, this will also be a helpful place for you to stop in.
After the preliminary work is done the worst part comes next: applying. Applying to internships is by far one of the most stressful moments in the whole process. This is the time where you risk facing mass rejection and the struggle to find the right place to work. Here are some helpful sites that can ease the searching process:
- A school provided website
Glassdoor will send alerts to your email about possible internships in your location. Finding a job that suits you and you can succeed in is a difficult step. Even more difficult is finding a job you know you would be perfect for and you may not even get an interview. It is important to remember that the employers know what they are looking for and maybe you were not as fit for the job as you felt.
Once you land an interview, though, that is a glorious feeling. Someone wants you and now you just have to impress them. Prepping for the interview can be extremely tedious for some. Some people practice and some wing it and both of those steps can make people nervous. In my personal opinion, the interview is all about being yourself. You want the employer to like you for you and if you put on a show and get the job you may end up disappointed. Don't fake who you are. The more honest you are about yourself the better your job match will be.
Even if your college does not require internships to graduate, it is still a stressful moment in life. When going out into the adult world more and more employers seem to want those internship experiences.
Although the internship process is stressful the whole way through, in the end the experience should be rewarding... and possibly paid.
