I really wish this was one of those articles that start with the rejection but end up with a sudden acceptance letter, but sadly it isn’t. I currently still don’t have an offer from a company for the summer, and I think it’s OKAY.
Now you might be a sophomore or a junior, or even a senior, and you’re reading this article.
Why exactly would you need advice from a freshman on internships?
I agree with you, I don’t think you should necessarily seek advice on internships from a first-year student who has gotten nothing but rejection letters, but if you’ve gotten this far in the article, I think it’s just right if you stay and read the whole thing :)
I have applied to 63 internships over the course of six months. Some have been through Easy Apply on LinkedIn, while others have required essays or cover letters. There are some where I even got to the interview stage and received that sad, disappointing email or phone call. There are some I believed so strongly I could get, some I thought I was probably the best candidate, and some where I didn’t believe that much in my application. Nevertheless, they all ended up rejecting me, and here I am now, writing this article with no current future plans. Now what?
Should I cry about it? I don’t have enough tears. Should I go on a rapid application run and apply to everything and anything I see? That would make me burned out and ultimately sad. Should I talk down to myself and think I’m not good enough for any company? Now that’s something we’re NOT going to do.
Should I psych myself up and understand that sometimes rejection is okay, and I should just keep working hard? Should I not give up on finding more opportunities but understand that sometimes I need a break and I need time to breathe and relax? Should I understand that it’s not the end of the world, and this might just be an obstacle? Yes……yes, I should.
As much as getting an internship is important, sometimes not getting it might be just as important. (PLEASE QUOTE ME ON THIS – it sounds like something a smart English professor would say. Please give me some credit when you use this line in your essays :)
I know that getting the internship would improve your resume, I know it could potentially help you secure a full-time job, but maybe you’re not meant to have it. I like to believe that everything happens for a reason – there’s a bigger picture that we can’t see, and we have to wait for it to be revealed. I like to think what will be will be, so maybe you’re not meant to work that 9-5 this summer. Yes, I know, everyone else got their internships, but that’s why you’re not everyone else.
So go on that self-discovery trip (haha COVID-safe, obviously), take that class you’ve always wanted to, start that project you’ve been thinking of for a while, and have fun with it. Have fun with accepting that sometimes life doesn’t go as planned, and just live. I think life’s too short to constantly worry, so stop worrying.
Yes, I’m a first-year student who has gotten nothing but rejection letters, but I’ve also decided to let life be life. I’ve decided not to mope about things I can’t control, and my skin has never been clearer, so I think that’s the reason you should take my advice :)
Celebrate other people’s wins and patiently wait for yours because trust me, it would definitely come.
PS: I had writer’s block for the past month, so this article is definitely an improvement.
Have a beautiful day :)
Yours,
Fayo
#STOPASIANHATE #StopAAPIHate #IFYOURERACISTTOWARDSASIANSIHOPEYOURPILLOWISHOTONBOTHSIDES