As we hit the halfway point of the fall semester, the quest for internships suddenly starts to loom large. If you’re a junior or a senior, you’ve likely begun to frantically scour LinkedIn and Indeed in hopes of finding that perfect internship.
However, the perfect internship probably doesn’t exist, and if you limit yourself to one particular position, you won’t get the full benefits of completing an internship while in college.
Applications aren’t always the easiest; trying to articulate succinctly why you’re the best candidate for a position — especially if it may be your first “real” job — can be challenging. Despite this, though, it’s important not to let yourself push potential internships out of the running. It may seem pointless to apply to an internship on the fringe of what you’re looking for, but the payoff can be enormous.
Completing an internship while in college allows you to get practical experience for your future career. Even if you aren’t sure if the internship is your dream role, you have the chance to find out. If you close yourself off from something new, you might never realize there are other possibilities out there for you. What you think are your interests now might change once you step into a similar role.
The more internships and positions you consider, the greater the likelihood that you will receive an offer. While it might equate to 10 more applications, the potential reward is far greater than the extra time you’ll put in. Consider which of your skills you haven’t been prioritizing in your applications and search for positions that cater to those.
Another crucial thing to remember is that the internship season doesn’t end now. Even if it seems everyone around you is starting to hear back, it’s not over for a long time. It’s easy to burn out and lose hope fast, but you have plenty of time until the summer. Many internships wait until early January to open their applications, so there will be plenty more posts to target further down the road.
When I went through this cycle last year, I ended up applying for an internship on a whim in the middle of March. The position had not stuck out to me immediately because it wasn’t exactly what I’d pictured myself doing. I applied, though, and had an amazing experience over the summer. My coworkers constantly encouraged me to push myself and expand my boundaries, even when I was unsure if I would succeed. When I widened my scope, I earned a position that taught me so much more than I would have learned if I had only looked at my “dream role.”
Don’t get discouraged as you start the internship process, and remember that one role does not define you. Broaden your horizons and consider alternatives — that might end up being the best decision you make.
Caroline Block is a junior English major from Mobile, Alabama. Caroline can be reached at [email protected]
