After spending eight and a half hours on the computer at work, you wouldn’t think I’d want to get on and write a blog entry. But today was the first day on a new job, which always makes me excited to tell everybody I know. After months of internship-hunting, I finally landed what could be close to my dream job! I’m working for an energy research company in downtown Boulder, learning loads and getting great research experience (as one of my supervisors pointed out to me today). This job seems to combine all my interests and degrees. I am so glad that I stuck out the long and harrowing job search process.
It is nerve-wracking to find a summer job. Filling out applications is tedious. Writing cover letters makes me feel like a peppy cheerleader for each company. Interviews are endless minutes of torture where you’re sure the potential employer is mocking you behind that smiling face. The absolute worst, though, is waiting for a company to get back to you. After an interview, I’m always filled with relief, sure that a job offer is only a day away. But one day passes. Multiple days pass. Whole weeks fly by with nary a word about employment. As my school year job winds down, I begin to sweat. My hair starts to look disheveled from worry. I wish that the companies would just call and tear down my hopes; it would be better than this endless waiting. Last summer I waited for nearly two months, filling out endless applications, before finding a job.
But just in the nick of time, I received a phone call. And two days later, I arrived at my job, drenched from the rain and nervous as I’ve ever been. This was to be my first “intellectual” job. I was greeted immediately with a magnificent sight—my own desk. My own desk. My own desk. My own desk. I can still hardly believe it. The entire day was a dream, from the mountains of free bagels and gallons of free
coffee to the endless Excel spreadsheets and Google searches. I’m positively blissful.
So, here comes my advice on getting a summer internship (coming from someone who just got her first):
1. Apply early, apply often. The more companies you apply to, the more likely it is you’ll get an offer. Also, many companies have application deadlines well before summer starts, so keep an eye out.
2. Get your resume critiqued. Many colleges have a career services office designed to help students get really good jobs. A great resume can mean the difference between getting an interview and (literally) being thrown in the recycling bin.
3. Be personable. If you do get an interview, chat up your potential employer. Don’t focus solely on the job and all its boring details (unless, of course, you’re applying to be a circus performer). Employers want to know that you are a fun person to work with, as well as capable, which brings me to my next point…
4. Brag. Don’t be afraid to tell a company about all your achievements; after all, you earned them! Even seemingly unrelated awards will make you seem hardworking and responsible.
5. Keep in touch. Don’t wait for an employer to contact you. If it’s been more than a week since your interview, it is okay to send an email asking for an update on the position. Just don’t bog down the company with requests.
So there you have it! Getting a summer internship can be a long, drawn-out process, but it is well worth it. (Don’t my desk and I just know it.) Another benefit of internships is that they often lead to full time jobs. Start looking early on and you, too, could have your own desk.
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