1. At the beginning of the year, you are optimistic. You picture walking through a bustling city, with a tray of Starbucks lattes in hand. You proceed to walk through huge glass doors with the swipe of your badge (you took a fabulous badge picture) into a trendy lobby. The lobbyist greets you with a smile and says, “[boss’s name] is waiting.” You walk into her office overlooking Manhattan, and suddenly you are making the decision of who will grace this month’s cover of [insert dream magazine]. Your daydream ends, but your motivation to conquer this summer stays. You vow to apply to dozens of internships and probably land them all.
2. It’s now November. The school year has started taking over your life, and you promise that during Thanksgiving break you are finally going to sit down and apply for tops, 10 internships. 3. Thanksgiving comes and goes. You realize it’s really too short of a break to get that much work done. You can bet that seeing family and friends will bring even more summer break questions! You do get the chance, however, to do a little work on your Linked-In account. You connect with anyone and everyone. Your third grade teacher’s daughter might have a connection you can use, and just maybe you can avoid doing all of these applications.4. Right around now, it's finals time. You can’t see past your next 20-minute power nap let alone make it to summer. In the off chance you survive on three Venti coffees without having a heart attack, you will start looking into internships over the light at the end of the tunnel that is Break.
5. You did it! Break is here. Once Christmas and New Years pass, you are going to get yourself another coffee and sit down for an entire day to figure out your summer plans.6. Your day of planning is here. You are sitting at a table, about to take on the world. You start at the top of the list - your dream internship. The thing is, they either only accept whatever year you’re not or there isn’t even a career page. How do I get into this elusive club that is my dream internship? After sending out your resume and re-writing your cover letter a dozen times, you say a quick prayer that no one else joined that honors society freshman year and that it will set you apart.
7. You’re now in a bit of a panic. Hearing the question actually sends chills down your spine and you begin to sweat. January is over. Classes have started back up and you still have not heard back. At this point, your friends are starting to figure out their summers. You beg your parents to exploit any and all of their friends for opportunities. They promise to send out a few emails.
8. It’s March now. You start preparing to answer the question with “nannying,” the same answer it’s been since you turned fourteen.
9. But wait, you hear back in April! Your parents’ friends pulled through with an internship. They say its just going to be menial tasks, with very little pay. You don’t care because you can finally slap that on a resume.
10. It’s now July. You have been working for over a month in this prison that is the real world. The question has become, “What have you been up to this summer?” That little voice whispers in your head, slave Labor, that’s what I’ve been up to. But you smile and say, “Interning!”
