At the start of my college experience, I was always told to get a head start on internship scouting to build prior experience. As my senior year approaches, I was reminded of this advice and decided it was time I listen. Even as someone with no prior work experience, I was initially optimistic about applying to over 20 internships for this summer, as at least one was bound to work out. Upon receiving no positive news from any of them, it became increasingly difficult to maintain hope and fight the doubt in my abilities and goals.
As I started to accept that work was not in the cards for me this summer, I got a call back and was offered an internship position for a company I admire and am excited to be a part of. It’s important to avoid letting a lack of prior experience discourage you from applying to internships or exploring new opportunities.
Patricia Shampton, the director of Alumni Relations for Texas Exes, works with HookedIn – a platform, similar to LinkedIn, in which Longhorns can explore job opportunities, network and connect with other alumni. She urges students to use high school and college experiences to meet descriptions of the job roles they are applying for.
“Be confident and don’t worry about whether you have enough experience in the job market. You’re gonna have to do a lot of research but it should not be discouraging because that is the process,” said Shampton. “If someone doesn’t get back to you right away, go find someone else. Go ahead and put yourself out there for multiple opportunities.”
Interning is a great way for college students to learn hands-on in a workplace environment and get a glimpse into what life could look like after graduation. It provides experience, allows for networking and allows you to explore different avenues and potential career paths. It is also helpful for resume building and practicing/developing skills. There are plenty of internships that don’t require lots of previous experience, so this could be the start to gaining experience in areas you feel are lacking.
Tiffany Taylor, senior director of EDU Success & Education at Handshake, a job and network platform for students and young adults, encourages students to maintain a healthy mindset in preparation for the ups and downs of the internship application process.
“Don’t be discouraged or dissuaded from applying to a job if you don’t hold all of the skills required in the job descriptions,” said Taylor. “More often than not, there are applicable and transferable skills that you’ve developed and can bring to the table from prior experiences.”
There are lots of experiences we have that we don’t realize can help us land our first internship. High school clubs, volunteering, personal ventures and even the courses we take in college can all be beneficial for the internship application process and useful to include on your resumé. If you find yourself feeling cast down, remember that if a position didn’t work out, another one will.
Finance senior Caitlin Gilmour landed an internship last summer working for JP Morgan at their private bank. She said networking played a huge role in the application processes and that talking to people within the industry helped her decide whether or not she could thrive in that environment.
“Knowing that I had a couple people on the other side who were rooting for me I think gave me a boost,” said Gilmore. “I only applied to four places. I didn’t even get an interview for one of them. I was like, ‘I wonder what it was’”.
While school is a top priority during college, these years are our time to take risks and try out different career paths or ventures. Believe in yourself and apply to those summer internships.
Ismert is a liberal arts junior from Dallas, Texas.
