THE SUMMER INTERNSHIP HUNT: A BROKEN SYSTEM OF TRIAL AND ERROR

By the end of my first semester of freshman year, I had already heard so many upperclassmen emphasize how vital, crucial, essential, and pivotal it is to land a stellar internship the summer after your junior year of college. It’s the springboard into a full-time offer. It’s the key to job security before the post-college grind. It’s the first time you’ll dip your freshly painted, manicured toes into the professional world. It’s everything. 

So as the little naive freshman I was, I took this advice to heart and by the end of my sophomore year, I had worked my way into a top-notch business club, revised my resume a hundred times, and done so many mock interviews that I was running out of blazers. I was prepped. I was made for this. As the jocks say (or so I’ve heard), I was ready for a W. 

And by the time my junior year came rolling around, I started handing my resume to every business professional I laid eyes on. I was an avid Handshake user and even made an appointment with a Career Counselor to discuss how to go about the process. Lo and behold, the adviser told me to take a deep breath and to just start applying little by little, day by day (psshh, easier said than done). 

My Dad always told me a rather peculiar saying growing up that has a special place in my heart. He said, “If you throw noodles on a wall, some will stick and some will fall.” 

OK, I admit, this is a weird thing to tell your teenage daughter. I wasn’t sure if it was an actual saying or something he pulled from the sky. But then I thought about it… If I threw my name into enough application pools, introduced myself to enough people, and spoke about my goals enough times, something was bound to stick. Someone had to give me the time of day and maybe even the chance to work. So I started throwing noodles. So many freaking noodles. 

I got my fair share of rejection emails, some from Fortune 500s and others from one-off start-ups. But months into the process, I eventually landed an interview. I was nervous to the nth degree and stayed up all night doing every bit of research about the company. The next day, I felt like I bombed the interview, but a few weeks later I was surprised to receive an offer letter covered with virtual confetti in my inbox. They needed to know in five days whether or not I wanted to move forward with the opportunity and so with a few impulsive clicks, I committed to a summer internship in New York on a whim. 

OK, this is where you’re probably thinking, great, this is the end of the story. Mission complete. What did I even get out of this article? But like most college students, I’m an overthinker. What was I going to do in New York? Could I even afford the rent? Would I be making any actual money? And what if they offer me a full-time job? Did I really want to live in New York straight out of college?

And right around the time these doubts started to bubble, I began finding out the results of other noodles I had thrown months prior. A few emails and interviews later, I got an internship offer from a reputable company in Los Angeles, 20 minutes away from my hometown. Live rent-free and gain real-world experience? A true no-brainer. They, too, needed to know my answer in five days and so with a few impulsive clicks, I signed the offer. 

OK, now you’re assuming I’m a bad person. Who signs two offers at one time? Well, that would be me. A young college student still finding her way in the professional world, something that no university, no educational institution actually prepared her for.

I quickly resigned from the New York offer respectfully and went about my life thinking I was set with my LA summer internship. And then I heard back from more noodles…

When your dream company reaches out and asks to interview you, that’s not an email you take lightly. After a lengthy conversation with the recruiter about my career goals, I decided to move forward with the interview process because, well, you only live once and I refuse to live with regret. Plus, nothing was guaranteed. 

It took two months before I heard back about the results with the third company and by some miracle, I was offered a position to work for a corporation that shaped my upbringing, upholds employee standards I believe in, and truly makes the world a more positive place. They needed to hear back from me in 24 hours and with a few confident clicks, I signed the internship offer. 

Alright, alright. I’ll admit, this story is getting old. I respectfully sent my resignation letter to the LA-based company and was ready to go about my life, until I got something I never would have expected in return. 

Like every stereotype, I wanted to believe that the corporate world was not as viciously cut-throat as people around me made it out to be. However, the email I received in response to my resignation from the LA company was one of the most disrespectful, unprofessional digital encounters I have ever experienced. 

I apologized for the late notice in reneging my offer (a word the recruiter made sure to explain to me) and I was transparent about the fact that an opportunity to work for my dream company landed in my lap when I least expected it. Instead, the recruiter attacked my character, deeming me a selfish person for going back on my word, even if it meant giving up my dream. Although I wanted to send some strong words in return, I never replied and deleted the email a few hours later. I had a duty to inform the company I would no longer be working for them and I completed that with poise, respect, and honesty. 

There are so many things no one tells you about the recruitment process: Don’t undervalue yourself. Everyone runs on different timelines. Only commit to things you truly want to do. A company’s name might be enticing, but its company culture is a thousand times more significant.  

But most importantly, sometimes people are going to hurt you. Sometimes people are going to make you doubt yourself before ever setting foot into an office. At the end of the day, we’re students floundering in a sea of intimidation and nerves just to try and land a job that pays the bills and makes us decently happy. We’re our own advocates, not the people in high-rise offices. 

I will say, I’ve learned my lesson. I don’t want to live a life promising people my commitment and later taking back my word. But it took almost a year of learning on the fly to understand this painful lesson while striving for a job that fulfills my passion. I feel as though these lessons should be openly talked about in classes or workshops for underclassmen who are overwhelmed with the unnecessarily secretive internship recruitment process. 

While I’m grateful to have been offered these opportunities thus far, I know that I have a lot more to learn about adulting in the professional world. To those of you out there who feel a little lost, confused, or defeated, hang in there. If you throw enough noodles, the right one will stick.

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