‘Tis the season when everyone takes to Facebook to announce the internship they landed and updates their LinkedIn with the start of their career. For months everyone has been applying to jobs and internships, crossing their fingers they’ll at least get an interview. It’s stressful and sometimes things don’t work out the way we want them to, but rest assured, there’s always another way. Our senior editor, Kat Kinslow, is a graduating senior who just accepted a job she’s absolutely in love with. However, it wasn’t an easy path to get here. Read on for Kat’s best advice, so you can land a dream job too!
Her Campus South Carolina: How did you go about your job search?
Kat Kinslow: “I started in January and applied to dozens of jobs within days, and I’m talking over 50 applications. I heard nothing. With the stress of graduating, I started my search again at the end of February and set a goal to apply to 10 jobs a day everyday until I heard back from someone. For a few weeks, it was silent… and then one Monday afternoon, I heard back from four companies at once. Then on Tuesday I heard from two more. On Thursday, another one. The positions ranged from unpaid internships to salaried careers, and I just wanted to get my foot in the door somewhere… I knew I’d figure the rest out later. With interviews back to back and much stress, I was eventually offered three out of the seven positions. I was shocked and am so lucky!”
HCSC: What were the interviews like?
KK: “I had two via Facetime on my phone which was a bit bizarre, one through Skype, two phone calls, and one through email. The email one was for a salaried position at a high-end men’s fashion company in NYC and it wasn’t easy. I had to answer the usual questions like ‘tell me about yourself’ and ‘why are you a good fit,’ but I also had to respond to emails they generated and take a typing test. It was intimidating, I much rather stick to phone calls. Facetime and Skype were awkward, it’s not easy to remember to smile and be attentive when you’re freaking out inside!”
HCSC: How did you choose which job to take and what will you be doing with the one you chose?
KK: “It was really hard to decide, I was stuck between an unpaid internship in NYC that was amazing in terms of #girlbossgoals and with a salaried position with the head company of a chain of boutiques in Boston. Money aside, it was just different talking to the people at LIT International Group. I felt comfortable speaking with my boss and the owner. They cracked jokes, told me to never be afraid to bug them, and that they enforce a close-knit, family vibe in the office. I had great conversation with the NYC position, but something in my gut told me LIT was where I was meant to be. So I’ll be helping to revamp their website and their social handles, picking out inventory for the stores, and creating marketing techniques to increase brand awareness!”
HCSC: What advice do you have for everyone still looking?
KK: “Don’t freak out, you will find something. I hadn’t done a single internship in my college career, which everyone swears you have to do to land a job. Wrong. I was involved in two organizations that showcased my passion: Fashion Board for fashion and Her Campus for communications. I made an incredibly creative resume, a personalized cover letter for each position, and was honest in both my cover letter and interviews about not knowing what I want to do with my life, but knowing I love these two fields. I emphasized I wanted to learn as much as I could from amazing companies like themselves. I made sure I was warm and relatable in my interviews and never sounded cookie-cutter. I didn’t practice, I just let conversation flow. As long as you’re applying to as many jobs as possible, someone WILL get back to you, and from there all you have to do is be the person an employer can call a friend!”