by Jennifer Heine
My friends kept telling me, “Everything has to work out. It always does.” I was skeptical—but they were right about my search for a summer internship.
In September 2007, I made a list of companies and organizations I was interested in interning with over summer 2008. I’m a go-getter and I wanted to be ahead of the internship search game. When I was a sophomore, I waited until spring to start looking for summer opportunities, and then I realized many companies start internship recruiting in the fall. So, I started looking early in my junior year.
I wanted an internship to give me a better feel for the fields I am interested in. I’m double majoring in economics and political science (with a concentration in journalism), so there were many career paths I could explore. I got the names of employers from a page on my university’s web site where majors are matched with career information and from friends and professors. I went to the companies’ web sites or called for information on applying.
I sent resumes and cover letters to several employers during the fall, and I had several interviews lined up over my winter break. I was pretty confident I would get at least one of the positions. I had already had three internship experiences, earned dean’s-list-worthy grades, and took on leadership roles in clubs on campus, so I felt I was a good candidate.
During the my spring semester, I applied to more internships. I attended the university’s spring career fair to network with employers and look for opportunities. Even after following up with all of the employers whose internships I applied to and going on a few more interviews, I didn’t have the internship I wanted.
I was offered two opportunities that required I take unpaid internships for college credit. After interviewing and doing additional research, I decided those programs weren’t good fits. I was also an alternate for a federal government internship that was right up my ally.
In all, I applied to more than 20 internship positions—and I was worn out. Was all this effort and time worth it for the glorious summer internship? My mom suggested I try a retail job, but I wanted to find a position that would give me real-life experience.
In the late spring, I found a paid summer internship with the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) in the newspaper’s classified section. The position description included using skills I’ve used in other internships in the past. I sent in my resume and cover letter right away. NACE called and we scheduled an interview for my first week home in the summer.
I thought my interview with NACE went well, and within an hour or two after the interview, I got a phone call offering me the internship. I was so relieved, and I was so happy I did not have to worry anymore.
NACE staff members exposed me to new experiences so I could learn as much as possible. As a membership intern, my duties included processing membership requests and responding to membership inquiries, and calling NACE members whose membership lapsed. I recruited members for a marketing research discussion group and I helped with promotional publications. In addition, I did some clerical and data base work. The editorial department allowed me to write an article for one of their online newsletters. The association asked me to write articles for JobWeb, and NACE has offered to let me work over my winter break.
I knew within the first few days of working that I would enjoy my summer experience. I improved many skills: I learned to be a better communicator over the phone, by e-mail, in writing, and in person. I improved my customer service skills. I learned to use data bases and computer documents more effectively. I became better at making good decisions on the spot and paying careful attention to details. NACE employees discovered my strengths and weaknesses and have tried to tailor my internship to me.
After two months of interning with NACE, I must say that my friends were right. Everything does work out for a reason.