Perseverance and Marketing
By: Amanda
At the end of my freshman year I knew that I wanted something more out of my academic journey. I was enjoying my classes and looked forward to my English and composition courses but I still felt like I was lacking something. After deliberating potential avenues, I decided to step into Career Services here at Grand Valley and find out what else I could do to better enrich my college experience. The individual who I spoke with suggested an internship and that is how I got started. Searching for an internship seemed daunting and after searching many internship search sites I was unable to find one that I thought would benefit me. I had sent in to a few of them but my resume had been rejected. It was very hard trying to find an internship that I would like and would benefit me. I was starting to think that the difficulty and the rejection were telling me it was not time for an internship yet. I was ready to give up when my father came home one night and told me that the company he works for has been known to pick up interns. I jumped on the invitation and got in contact with one of the Marketing Department coordinators at the firm. She told me to send in a resume and cover letter for review and she would get in touch with me.
Weeks past; then months, and still there was no sign of my gaining an internship. My fear seemed to have been affirmed, I was rejected. I started searching again during the winter semester of my sophomore year when I got a call from the company’s Human Resources Department. They asked me to come in for an interview and I did. I came into the modern and innovative office, dressed as if I had been a long time employee, not sure what to expect. I met one of the Marketing Department coordinators and one of the team leaders from Human Resources. They were very cordial and asked me a few questions about my writing capabilities as well as what I wanted to get out of this internship. They were so encouraging and genial that most of my apprehensions had faded the minute our interview started. After they had interviewed me they briefed me on the tasks I would be doing if I received the position. They shook my hand and said they would be in touch. I left the office feeling fairly confident. After about two weeks I received a call from the Marketing Department director asking me the earliest day possible that I could start. Later that night I had asked my father if he had anything to do with my getting the internship and he said that he left it all up to me and he did not interfere. Knowing this made me feel even better about obtaining the internship.
The process of finding an internship is very time consuming and sometimes it is hard to attain the one an individual wants. There are plenty of rejections and sometimes not even a courtesy call back. My advice to other students who are looking for internships is to take your time and do not be afraid of rejection. It is impossible to know when or if an internship will open up to you. Search for internships that apply to your strengths and once you are accepted try to schedule a class for your major or minor that will allow credit for the internship. Internships are very beneficial so if one can obtain one take it and use it to learn what the workplace will be like after graduation.
