After facing rejection after rejection with different campus organizations (though there have been some positives too, don't let my pessimism fool you), I've decided to branch out and focus on my career path: publishing and writing.
A change of scenery per se, even though that's why we come to college in the first place. For our careers. So the next logical step for any college student looking to get their feet wet in their career of choice is an internship. A nice, shiny internship. A gateway to the job of your dreams. Sounds revolutionary, don't you think?
But there's a catch. Nobody tells you just how hard it is to get one, or to even qualify, especially for someone like me that doesn't seem to fit in to what people are looking for (again, excuse my pessimism).
I'm only a day into this and I want to rip my hair out. So take a step in my shoes—among countless others, I'm sure—and dive into the internship hunt experience. It's a real treat (insert sarcasm here).
That moment when internships appear to match your interests, and then systematically destroy you with their lengthy job descriptions. I'm told that I am my own worst critic. There are times where I just don't have any confidence in my qualifications, and that's constantly reinforced by all the rejections I've accumulated. These internships, highlighting every single micro-detail that goes into the job and leaving no room for me to learn—as its expected that I know these things already—is...humiliating. I feel so under-qualified and they make me feel like all I've achieved means nothing. It's frustrating, and tragic.
Stupid restrictions. So there was this internship I found that really interested me. It was located in a city not too far from home, and the logistics of it matched what I was looking for as a young, malleable college student. But, as I've stressed earlier, there was a catch. There always is, you know. My University had to be located in one of three counties, or I had to be a permanent resident of one of those said counties. Aside from that minor detail, I was a golden applicant. Because of that detail, I would be discarded in the blink of an eye. I only lived 45 minutes outside of the city; I used to live in one of those said counties. I fondly call that city home. Honestly, why the stupid restrictions? This is only one example and I know there are plenty more. Don't you see the frustration?
The classic we want an applicant with at least 2-3 years experience in this field requirement. This requirement completely undermines college students' chances to get their feet wet. Also, why propose an internship with a big time commitment and workload—not to mention sometimes they're unpaid—to someone with experience? They've gotten their feet wet and have developed in their industry of choice. Leave room for the underdogs!
In all honesty, I could go on and on about this subject, but I digress. I've got high hopes that I will find an internship that doesn't squander my qualifications, restrict me with poor reasoning, or disrespects the newbie. Pessimism aside, I will find one. I will get accepted. And I will succeed despite all the rejections telling me no.
And that goes for you too. Happy hunting (and may the odds be forever in your favor).
