I’m not lying when I say High School Musical 2 screwed me over. As far as jobs go, I’ve been fairly lucky in my life. After landing my first summer job in retail I never left, never necessitating a real job search filled with actual resumes and cover letters. And after Troy Bolton landed himself—and his entire crew!—jobs for the summer, I figured obtaining my own dream job outside of the retail world wouldn’t be that hard either. Boy, was I wrong. Catching that perfect summer internship is much harder than singing your way into the Evans family’s favorite resort. Even if you didn’t get that perfect summer internship, never fear! There is still so much you can do.
1. What Time Is It–Keep on applying
As the summer approaches, you may think your chances of getting that perfect internship are over. However, a surprising amount of companies are still looking to fill positions in May and even early June. Get’cha head in the game and keep a planner of all the later deadlines so you can meet them all.
2. You Are The Music In Me–Know the people around you
If you are job/internship searching from either high school or college, there is no question that your guidance counselors and teachers’ main goal is for you to bop all the way to the top. Many universities have entire offices dedicated to helping students and alumni find their perfect occupational fit, while high schools supply personalized tests which aid students in discovering where their natural skills and talents fit best in the workforce. Use the people around you to find your perfect job. Ask questions and keep networking.
3. Walk Away—But don’t go too far
So you didn’t get your dream internship, but there still is a chance to work it out. While you may have been aspiring to be an assistant to a famous fashion designer, there are still other things you can do to get your foot in the fashion door. Try your hand at retail, or a seamstress shop in order to garner more experience for the next time you apply for your dream job. Maybe you didn’t get it this time, but give muscles to that resume, so when next time comes you’ll be ready to flex.
4. We’re All In This Together—Online network
In the era of the digital age, use the internet to your advantage. There are a plethora of online job-searching sites as well as job-building sites, so join them all! Turn off Twitter for the day, and you’ll have all the time in the world to sign up for LinkedIn, Handshake, Indeed, and Glassdoor. Some sites have network connections, so you can friend classmates and co-workers to raise your visibility to employers and get your start on something new.
5. Go My Own Way—Follow your passions
While getting your dream job or internship can be a long process, you got to make sure you’re finding the job that’s right for you. Maybe the reason you aren’t landing your dream role is that it really isn’t your dream. Don’t stick to the status-quo, but apply for the things that really interest you. Applying for jobs and internships won’t seem like such a drag when you aren’t following your best friend Cindy around, trying to get into the same program. Do what you want to do, and everything is sure to be fabulous.