How to Stay Calm While Internship Hunting During a Pandemic
Finding an internship — or even a job — during the COVID-19 pandemic has not been easy. I’m still trying to find my first internship as a junior.
With all of this in mind, one has to wonder, “how do you stay calm in this situation?” “I need an internship to graduate college, so what can I do?” Below are some ways you can stress less while internship or job hunting during this pandemic.
Apply to as many positions as possible.
In order to ensure that as many people respond to your application as possible, apply to different businesses. This will increase your chances of hearing back about having an interview. You can find open positions doing a quick Google search, use indeed.com, use glassdoor.com, or ask your adviser.
Make yourself stand out.
Making yourself stand out is very important. One way you can do this is to learn a new skill such as getting certified in Google Analytics before you start interviewing. During the interview, don’t only explain what’s on your resume; go into detail about the projects you’ve done or an interesting thing you’ve learned. Also, pitch a new idea for the company during the conversation.
Try to broaden your mindset. Go outside of your comfort zone.
Let’s say you want to go pursue a role in entertainment public relations, but there are no openings in that field. Try to broaden your horizons and still apply to those open positions anyway. Who knows — maybe you’ll like that field and want to pursue it post-graduation!
Remember that this too, shall pass.
While the internship market may be on pause right now, this difficult time will pass. The best thing about applying and interviewing is the connections you make. Sure, you may not get an internship right now, but your information is on file. The interviewer may remember you when you go to apply again the next semester, and you could possibly get it the second time around. Keep your head up, and remember that in a world full of no’s, you are bound to get a yes at some point.
Christina Billie is a rising junior at Temple University. She is majoring in public relations and has a minor in digital media engagement. She serves as the secretary of the Temple PRSSA Chapter, as well as a junior account executive for PRowl Public Relations, Temple’s student-run PR firm. She is also a marketing and media intern for Campowerment, an organization who holds retreats and events for women. In her free time, Christina enjoys swimming, writing, and babysitting
