How I Landed an Internship During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This has been one of the most difficult years any of us have ever experienced. So much has gone wrong that has drastically changed our lives. 

For me, 2020 was supposed to be my biggest year yet filled with many opportunities and excitement. The week before Monmouth shut down, I felt like I finally had my life on track – I felt good about my schoolwork, my health, and, of course, the endless possibilities for summer internships. 

Well, things change, and we have to adapt. I didn’t end up participating in an internship over the summer because the ones I sought out were canceled. Once that happened, I felt like I was going nowhere, and my anxiety was increasing rapidly.

Since I need an internship to graduate, I was panicking – Where do I start? How can I do this? When do I start looking? 

There just seemed to be no end in sight.

Eventually, I decided that I would complete an internship during my last semester at Monmouth, which is the Spring 2021 semester. I met with the English career advising mentor, and she told me to start looking right away. 

From mid-September to late November, I applied to internships like crazy. At first, I was a bit selective because I thought that maybe I would hear back soon; however, that was not the case. Most places were not responding, so I knew I had to start applying to anything that popped up. I was checking Indeed, Glassdoor, and Monmouth’s Career Link daily. There was no time for me to be picky. I needed to find a placement. 

After either not hearing back or being rejected, I felt hopeless. I did not see an outcome where it ended with me as an intern. It was a living nightmare.

The week of November 15th was one of the best weeks I’ve had this year. I heard back and received the opportunity to interview with Incluvie, an online media company that writes reviews about films and rates the diversity within that film. Leading up to the interview, I was incredibly anxious. However, once I was there, I felt comfortable. The job consists of things I am interested in, such as movies and, of course, writing!

After the interview, I was yearning for the position. I truly felt that I would be an excellent fit for the company. 

Although I was confident in my writing abilities, my knowledge of pop-culture, and my interview, the one thing that officially put me over with them was sending a follow-up email. In the message, I thanked the interviewer and expressed how excited I am to contribute to their company. 

The best part? I received an offer the next day. 

Honestly, it was a miracle, and I have never felt so grateful in my entire life. During a worldwide pandemic, tackling five all-remote English courses, I was able to land an internship all on my own. 

I am so proud of myself for never giving up and continuing on every single day. This is not a normal time at all, but doing this all by myself makes me feel invincible. If I can do this during a pandemic, then I can accomplish anything.

I am so excited about this opportunity with Incluvie, and I will work hard to be the best Diversity Writer/Movie Critic I can be.