By: Lailumah Faisal, Director of Recruitment
I always felt I was late in the game when it came to my major. I didn’t decide on public relations until late sophomore year, and by then a lot of my peers had already started their core classes and even had participated in multiple internships. This past spring semester, I realized I had to play catch up- I NEEDED a summer internship. This was a lot harder than I thought. I had never interned anywhere before, so I lacked major experience outside the classroom. Still, I kept trekking on and applied to new places everyday.
My inbox soon began to fill up with the same response:
“We’ve ultimately decided to go with a more experienced candidate for this position.”
No one wanted to take a chance on somebody who didn’t have background in PR internships, and although I was frustrated, I understood their decisions. About a week before the 2017 Spring semester ended came a beacon of hope! My sister had emailed me saying the company she worked for in DC was looking for summer interns. Immediately I applied, and got called in for an interview. I traveled to our nation’s capital with high hopes, crushed the interview, and went home satisfied… Little did I know a few days later I’d be notified they didn’t have any room in their communications field for summer interns.
Again, my frustration arose and I was about to give up when another beacon (more promising for the first one) popped into my inbox. It was from a woman who worked at my sister’s DC office. She knew of an opening for online communications interns through Bossed Up!, a company that offers personal and professional development training for women. With nothing to lose, I applied, and after various interviews I got the job! Through my internship, I have learned so much and continue to learn more everyday.
It is so frustrating getting rejected, but that should never stop you. Perseverance and patience are key when applying for internships, especially if you’re just starting out. Take it from me, when one door closes, another one is sure to open!
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