To my fellow girlfriends currently attending college either as an undergrad or incoming graduate student, let me give you some advice on how important internships are. No matter what field you are pursuing, doing an internship throughout your college years is crucial. From my end, I learned this the hard way.
I’m from a small town in Rhode Island and grew up with a family that tried their best to provide the most they could for their family. When I entered college it was my responsibility to pay for it and support myself. As much as I have struggled over the years without any financial support from my family, I have come to think I have grown into a stronger and more independent woman. Unfortunately, supporting myself meant sacrificing important elements in my career such as internships. I attended The University of Rhode Island as a full time student while also working two part time jobs. The downfall with most internships is that they are unpaid and unfortunately I couldn’t work a job where I didn’t get paid.
When I decided to attend graduate school in New York City, I again struggled with the thought of getting an unpaid internship. Especially in New York City where everything is a hundred times more expensive than little Rhode Island. I started off attending graduate school working as a retail associate and adding more retail experience to my resume. But I soon became discouraged and enraged that all this retail experience would not be beneficial to my career in the long run. Yes, it was important and a vital piece to my resume, but I needed to gain more experience within a corporate environment as an intern. I was in New York City, the fashion capital, which has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl.
The first piece of advice I can give you is to use all of your school’s resources to your benefit. Reach out to your university’s resources such as career advisers, financial aid advisers and even your teachers. A few things I have come to learn, if you are struggling financially, constantly call and visit the financial aid office. Explain to them your background and even sugar coat your sob story a little because they will soon get familiar with you and want to help you. Although I may be drowning in loans all my life, at least I got to perform the necessary things in life with financial help that my parents couldn’t provide for me. Make best friends with your career advisers and teachers because they can help you edit your resume, prepare you for interviews, and ultimately give you advice. Because guess what, they have all been in your position before. I will never forget my high school art teacher who always had hope for me and helped me along the way. I hope she is proud of me and I will forever be thankful for the people in my life who have helped teach me and just wanted to see me succeed.
Second, do your research. Guess what, there are internships out there that are paid! They are few and far between, but I promise you they exist. My first internship in New York was a paid internship with David Yurman. Not only was I able to intern and learn new things, I was getting paid to do so. Although I’m sure I won’t be lucky to get another paid internship again, at least I know it’s possible. Do your research to figure out what type of internship you’re looking for and what companies interest you. For most companies, you can apply for their internships right through their website. Also, use resources such as LinkedIn and career websites. Always attend any career fair events or fairs that your college may offer.
Third piece of advice, always follow up. Never question in your head that you will be that annoying person who calls every week. Wrong. You are that determined person showing an interest and desire to get this internship. You want to stand out from the crowd of others who are applying for the same position as you. If you interviewed with the person, always include something you two discussed about when meeting in your follow up. This will show them you were paying attention and are interested. Always be polite and professional. Make sure you know how to draft a proper email or phone call and never sell yourself short. You won’t find an internship just lying around!
Fourth piece of advice, if you don’t have a lot of experience don’t get discouraged! Internships are all about learning. Give yourself more credit girl- I know I struggle with that myself. Use the experiences you have learned from previous jobs and even from the classroom to sell yourself. I changed my major while in graduate school and had to figure out ways to change around my resume. As well as think of things I could bring to the table to be a beneficial team member and help a company grow. My boss at David Yurman always told me to never over think anything, relax, and just be you. Do not stop until you are at the top!
Lastly, through my internship at David Yurman and attending school, I have made so many friends and more importantly, references for future internships and jobs. If you’re going to succeed in fashion or any job out there, having connections is always key. Make sure you are close to at least one or two people wherever you go to school or work. Work hard, be kind, always be an overachiever and go the extra mile. If someone above you is mean to you, just smile. Always stay positive and motivated. Trust me when I say that they will notice it without you even having to say anything. Gain as much experience as you can while still in school so when it comes time to finding your dream job, there will be no questions why the company wouldn’t want to hire anyone but you!