Advice On The Professional World From A Senior

As a soon to be post-graduate student, the past few years have made me privy to the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to trying to get your foot in the door of the professional world. Though it has been a rough (and I truly mean rough) journey, I feel that some of the experiences I have endured over the years have given me some sort of position where I am able to offer some words of wisdom. Therefore, here are a few pieces of advice, slices of hope, and anxiety extinguishing anecdotes that might help out. 

In the beginning of college, I really wish I was told that networking is not as formal as people make it seem. Networking can be as simple as showing up to class every day and talking to a professor after class over something related to class. These small conversations, while they may seem meaningless to you, make professors take note of you and recognize the thoughts you have on the subject matter. This comes in handy when you are looking for either a research position or a letter of recommendation for an application. Once you have shown interest and care in your work, professors will almost always provide you with the same amount of care.

It is also important to note that not all networking connections are to people who are in a “higher position” than you. Even talking to peers can be considered networking as they are considered to be in your professional world. Again, networking does not always consist of strictly work and professional conversations, it is all about building connections that make people remember you and possibly consider you when a professional opportunity arises. 

Once you have networked, made connections, and possibly been offered opportunities like an interview for an internship, you might be hit with the biggest challenge of the professional world — rejection. It is completely normal to be devastated when you get rejected from a position where the interview went seemingly well and you felt like you were the perfect fit for the role. I promise you I have shed tears upon tears over the many internship rejections I have gotten, and it does not make you lame if you do the same. But, I have realized through all of the thank you letters I have written through blurry vision that rejection is redirection. I don’t say that to make it seem like I am okay with rejection, but had I not been rejected from prior internships or assistant positions, I would not have ended up at my dream internship at a place I have admired for years. Rejection is simply just another opportunity, and the sooner you have that mindset, the less you will blame yourself for “not being enough.” 

I also really think that everyone needs to stop talking and thinking negatively about themselves. If you continue to speak negatively about yourself, how you don’t have the skill set for a role, how you won’t get a role because that is just your luck, or that you are not worthy for a role, then your subconscious will fully believe such and it will not happen. You need to believe that you are the best person for the role and that you deserve it, otherwise there is truly no point in applying. Be confident in what you have learned and what you are able to learn in the future. While internships are for knowledgeable people, they are structured for an individual to learn within the role. Move through any professional space like you deserve to be there, because you truly do.

The professional world is one of the most terrifying things a young person is faced with as they grow up. Through all of the advice and guidance we are given as we go through life, there is always nuance. I am by no means an expert in professional development and understanding, but I do know that there are others who are just as anxious as I was when thinking about networking and attaining an internship. If I were to be placed back in that position in my freshman year, these are the things I would need to hear. 

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• rejection