I’m currently building a career in marketing. While my undergraduate courses have taught me a lot, my internship experiences have proven to be even more valuable. I’ve interned at a start-up company, a medium-sized company, and now a well-established corporation and these are some of the unexpected lessons I learned along the way that have helped shape my career path.
When I first started applying for internships, I had no experience, and nobody wanted to hire me, so after months without hearing back from any employers, I decided to apply for unpaid internships to gain experience I could put on my resume. Eventually, after a couple of weeks, I was hired and even received a bursary, which made up for the time I spent. Through this experience of getting that first job opportunity, I learned that even though we students all want a paid internship, expertise and knowledge are also extremely valuable, especially when trying to get that first job opportunity.
Through the painful process of constantly applying to jobs and receiving many rejection letters, I’ve learned that perseverance and grit are the most important traits one can have. I’ve also learned that unpaid internships aren’t all that bad, especially if you could live without getting compensated for the time being. What’s more valuable is the experience and the knowledge gained and the networks and connections made throughout the process. It’s about getting that first job opportunity and experience that will eventually lead you to land future internships.
Also, an unexpected lesson I learned as an intern was that my growth was entirely up to me. How much I absorbed and took away from the experience was in my hands. As an intern, you’ll likely work under a manager, but ultimately, how much you learn comes down to your initiative. In any internship, you must ask critical questions and stay curious to make the most out of the experience. Your manager won’t automatically know what you don’t know, so it’s essential to take the initiative, adopt a growth mindset, and seek the knowledge that will lead you to develop professionally and personally.
I credit most of my experience today from utilizing the tools and job boards before me. Not many people know the job board we Humber students have called Humber Career Connect, which has many unpaid and paid internship opportunities. That’s where I landed my first internship experience. I also recommend applying to jobs on Indeed and LinkedIn and using Google Sheets or Excel to track your applications, such as how many you’ve applied to and the companies you’ve applied to. Seeing your progress and how many you sent out for me enabled me to keep going.
Overall, through my learnings, I advise anyone to put themselves out there in terms of creating a personal website showcasing their past work or showcasing their personality during interviews. Most employers are looking for experience as well as personality. It’s also important to remember that perseverance is essential when applying to what seems like endless applications, especially in today’s saturated job market. One of my favourite mantras that keep me going, especially during tough times when you feel stuck, is that nobody is coming to save you and that how your life turns out is 100% your responsibility.
About the Author:
Hi there, my name is Mellisa, and I am a third-year marketing student at Humber Polytechnic (formerly known as Humber College) pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce degree. I am passionate about helping businesses thrive in the digital marketing space and helping them to tell their story through social media. I’ve interned at a start-up, medium-sized business, and corporation, and I’m here to share what I have learned and gained experience.
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