To give you a little background information, I am a soon to be college graduate and I have had four official internships now (in a work setting and showroom setting) and I want to share some of the major points, mistakes and achievements so hopefully you can accomplish even more than I did.
DON’T WAIT TO GAIN EXPERIENCE
The more experience you have the better. If you’re a freshman or sophomore in college start looking for an internship now. This will only increase your chance of nailing a killer internship your senior year. This kind of experience is always beneficial to have on your resume because, HELLO let’s be real, most underclassman have a resume with babysitting jobs or their first job. You want to start putting real adult experience on your resume so start early!
DON’T BE AFRAID TO GET PICKY AND TURN OFFERS DOWN
After you have an internship or two under your belt, your foot is now in the door. Bigger internships will come knocking at your door and it’s okay to go after the weird ones that don’t per say relate directly to your major. In my experience I have learned that no matter what scenario, job, or internship, any experience you gain you can then, in turn, relate back to any real world application because guess what? You’ve already done it and accompished it somewhere. You can even play it off as a key strength at an internship that your major makes you stand out from other canidates because you think in a more strategic, creative or even analytical way than other interns would. Emphasize this if you’re not exactly the major they are looking for.
When you get all of the offers coming at you at once don’t be afraid to look at all your options and ask if you can have until a specific day to decide. This is your experience, and your time you are committing to a company so make sure it feels right and go with your gut. Do your research and make sure you are not just there to take staples out of a paper and fetch coffee, this is the only time it’s completley okay to be selfish in choosing!
BE A #GIRLBOSS WHEN YOU ARE AT AN INTERNSHIP
Seriously though, the term above and beyond is an understatement at internships. Some companies have up to 15+ interns a year, make sure you are the one at the end of the year that makes them say “Wow, I really miss _____, our fall intern last year, she was so wonderful to work with.” That can open a door to a potential job when you’re in the post grad life or when you’re looking for future employers your previous supervisors can reach out through their network and really put in a good word for you.
Be a #GirlBoss and show your employers that you are so much more than an intern. You’re a smart, intelligent, hard working student. Establish yourself now and start getting your name out there so you can be as successful as the original #GirlBoss herself.
MY EMPLOYERS CARE MORE ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE THAN MY EDUCATION
As my days are closing in and the post grad life is rapidly approaching, I’ve been able to talk with more and more of those professionals that are about to hire for entry-level positions. They have all shocked me with the biggest piece of advice, they don’t care where I graduated from, or what honors I have or didn’t have. What they care most about is if I have my degree, if I have internship experience, where and what I did while I was at my internship and my global experiences when I traveled abroad. I have never had a future employer ask me about classes except when they ask where I learned how to use Photoshop, illustrator, adobe skills and such.
EXTRA CREDIT: An added bonus is to have a personal website with projects, reports and case studies you’ve performed throughout your time at college. However, in my experience, my future company has solely been interested in what real life experience I have in my field. With that being said my future CEOS, Executives, and dream chasers; chase your dreams, do your homework and don’t stop until you get to where you want to be.