The second we arrive at college we are always thinking of ways we can further our career. From joining clubs to working part-time jobs every experience seems to count. Then we finally get into what can possibly jumpstart our career: an internship. Professors drill into our minds the importance of an internship, our parents encourage us to look for an internship if we don’t have a summer job and we finally understand that an internship is the way we can become prepared for the real world. Whether you’re working for your dream company or just a place to get an internship, every moment counts.
In March I had to hear the news that the internship I had accepted months earlier had stopped hosting my program. It also meant that I had maybe a month and a half to look for a new internship. In my article, "I Got Rejected From My Internship, But I'm Stronger For It" I talk about how you need a tough skin to handle rejection but no matter how many times I was rejected I always felt my life came full circle. After applying to as what Handshake says was 25 internships, four of those companies called me back for an interview and after the interview, three of the companies told me no.
Now here’s where this sob story becomes better. One company gave me a chance — and that’s all I need.
Throughout my life, I have dealt with rejection but sometimes in rejection, there will come acceptance you just need to look hard enough. Thomas Edison is famous for creating the light bulb and before he could succeed he needed to fail. — "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”
When we get denied an internship it does not mean we failed it means that we just haven’t found the company for us yet.
I started work at this company last Monday and leading up to that day I had no idea what to expect. I had no internship experience and I didn’t know what knowledge the other interns had coming into this program. The only work experience I had was from working at Ramah Darom and the brief time I spent marketing for Insomnia Cookies. I had chills and was afraid so much would go wrong. However, the first day came and went and I realized I didn’t have to be so nervous. The first week is the time where the company helps get your feet in the water before you start doing your daily tasks. It is when you learn more from this internship and listen to experience before you take what you learn and put it in place.
An internship is a step in growing up. I still remember the day where I got denied by three different companies in the span of an hour. You have to just keep moving forward until you find the internship right for you.
You might learn the most from the company you least expect.
In the days I have spent working at my internship I can’t put into words what I think about it. Some days will be slow and you just hang out and other days you will be working nonstop until the afternoon. I don’t know what will happen in this internship but what I do know is I am ready to learn skills that can help me in the job market. As I see more of my friends' graduate and take full-time jobs I think how that will be me next year. Everything I learn from this internship will not only prepare me for the real world but will give me the skills that can help me prosper in a working environment.
