Maggie John
Finding an internship is hard and, unfortunately for us, in a post-Brexit and post-Covid world, it’s even harder. What I will say is, keep trying and you will end up where you’re supposed to be and don’t give up faith, even when it feels impossible not to. I’m really no expert in internships, but over the last year and a half I have tried and failed to obtain work experience and internships, but I have also succeeded.
For a bit of context – Hi! My name is Maggie and I’m currently on my year abroad in Spain. I’m studying in a small town just outside of Madrid, but this was never my plan. In fact, when I first started thinking about my year abroad, I had visions of work experience and internships across Europe (France and Spain), and of course they would offer me a job when I graduate, and I’d go on to be the next Nora Ephron. Unfortunately, things rarely work out that way.
My Experience
There was no straight forward way to apply for internships with newspapers, so I emailed them – a lot of them, and I got two replies, which puts into perspective how bloody hard it is. Although, I was reluctant to give up my search, I eventually did and decided to work as an au pair instead. While it’s not necessarily “professional” experience, I learnt a lot and had a wonderful summer in France and headed off to Spain to study.
However, the New Year soon rolled around, and it was time to decide what to do next. This time, I was determined to get an internship and went about it in a more traditional sense, replying to job adverts on sites such as The Student Language Bureau. I applied to a lot of internships and got very few replies, until I got one and that is all it takes. I had an interview and was successful, so I will be undertaking a two-month internship in Human Resources this summer.
As I said at the beginning, I am really not an expert, but I’m going to share some tips which helped me, because they may be able to help you too.
Top Tips
Don’t give up!
Applying for work experience and internships isn’t fun. It can be a very tedious and soul-destroying process. However, you have to separate the wheat from the chaff, to find the internship which is right for.
Rejection happens
Unfortunately, the likelihood is that you will be rejected from certain internships. Although it’s easier said than done, try not to see it as rejection or as a reflection of your capability. Instead, see it as a sign you’re moving in the right direction, towards the job that is right for you.
You have to keep the faith
Even after ninety newspapers ignored my plea for experience, I tried my hardest not to lose faith that I was going to end up where I was supposed to be and now, I’m even more certain that it was all a step in the right direction.
All experience is good experience
As the old saying goes, all experience is good experience and, in most ways, I make it right. Although it can feel as though if you don’t have an internship at one of the Big Four, you’re never going to be successful, you will be. Although I didn’t have a ‘professional’ internship last summer, I learnt copious amounts working as an au pair which set me in good stead for studying abroad and has also set me in good stead for my internship this summer.
So, my parting advice is another gentle reminder: don’t give up. Hard work pays off and every rejection is actually reassurance that you’re headed in the right direction.
Good luck!
Photo by Eric Prouzet on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to the image.