The Harsh Reality of Internship and Entry-Level Job Searching
As a junior or senior in college, the one question that can never be avoided is: “Where are you applying to work?”
Whether you are looking to excel in your very first college internship or are a recent grad seeking a full-time role, the job market continues to be competitive. Internships are crucial to maintain and strengthen the skills you learn in the classroom, putting your skills to the test in the real world. But if an internship is a way to grow and improve your skills or learn new ones, why are companies continuously requiring applicants to have three to four years of experience? That's a question that college advisors and the internet seemingly can’t answer.
It is safe to say that not every internship wants you to have multiple years of experience. Yet still, job interviews consist of questions relating to skills or qualifications gained from other jobs that will benefit you in the role. Do you lie? Or do you answer honestly and tell them you want this job to teach you those skills and qualifications? There is no “right” answer because it all depends on what you as a person believe to be true. Would you rather hope they hire you for who you are or pretend to be someone you're not to impress the interviewer and land the job? Thinking about any interview I have ever done, I tell the truth. If the interviewer asks me if I know how to use Photoshop and I say yes, what happens when they need me to use it and I don’t t even have it downloaded on my computer? If you have to lie in an interview to make yourself stand out, you may be less qualified than you first believed.
Image sourced from LinkedIn.
So what do you do in this situation? Here are four tips I practice as I go through the sometimes dreadful and disheartening internship search process.
You have to remember that you are not alone in this situation and that your peers are also struggling to find internships and jobs.
Networking is everything. Connect with people in your preferred industry or even your peers as they could have job or company recommendations. This all starts with LinkedIn and creating conversations. As many of my mentors and advisors repeat, “Never be afraid to message people on LinkedIn.”
Expanding your search or preferences is extremely important as an entry-level professional. This means going outside of your comfort zone and applying to jobs that may not have been your top choice. This could be non-profits, larger companies, or even small businesses. The broader your horizon, the higher chance you have of landing a role.
Lastly, try your best to stay positive. The work you put into your clubs or classes doesn't go unnoticed, but the work you put into difficult situations, such as applying to internships, deserves even more recognition. Staying positive and knowing that you will eventually find something that works for you is the most important step in this interview process.
So, when you open your email to yet another denial, just remember you were not the only person in the world who received that same email that day. Never let one company that does not want you deter you from following your career goals. Think back to the time in your life when you received denial letters from the universities you were hoping to go to. Reflecting on this may bring you some peace of mind because, in the end, you ended up exactly where you were supposed to be. The same will be true 10 years from now when you are working your dream job. I can almost guarantee that you won’t be thinking about that one denial letter you got from the company you thought you nailed the interview for. It's a hard truth, but it will move you much farther in your career and turn you into an employee that companies are begging for.
About
Annie Gerrity is a senior pursuing a degree in Advertising & Public Relations with a minor in Marketing. This is her second semester with GrandPr where she currently serves as an Account Executive. She is a student assistant at the CLAS Dean’s Office on campus and the Marketing Project Manager for the Promotions Office & The Office of Student Life. In the future, Annie hopes to move to a big city and work either in an agency or for a professional sports team.