Having experience as an intern is mandatory for graduation and crucial for the success of a young person when looking for a full time position. Trying to find an internship that fit my needs and that I was capable of took some searching.
Once I found a couple companies I wanted to work for, I dusted off my resume, and sent it in. By dusting off my resume I mean basically rewriting the whole thing. I did not realize the importance of adding and subtracting actives and jobs as they happened. Note to self – keep up with resume. As the perfectionist my family raised me to be, I stressed over every single word written on my cover letter. I wanted to showcase myself, my family, and the previous companies I had worked for, as best as I could. By doing that I worked on these two documents nonstop for multiple days. I had many people read over them and then I would revise them again. Finally, I would feel comfortable enough with the documents to send them in. Now it was a waiting game.
Through the process of applying for multiple internship positions I occasionally got discouraged. I would think that I wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t skilled enough in that field to apply because the job description had scary words in it. There were other more qualified people who would do better at the position so why should I apply. All of this negative self talk (as Chalene Johnson calls it) caused me to loose my confidence. I had talked myself out of applying for some positions that I should have and told myself I wasn’t going to get an interview with the ones I did apply for. My self-doubt became the foundation of my self-worth. This type of thinking had to stop. And fast.
I stopped thinking like that when I realized that the best candidate for the position would get the job. So I prayed for just that, that the best qualified person would get the position. If I wasn’t that person life would go on. I would find something else. I had options. Oh, but if I was extended an offer, what a nice surprise it would be!
A few weeks later I received a call. They extended an offer to me. They wanted me! And without thinking I accepted. I could not be more excited to start my internship this summer!
Check back as the summer goes on to see what fun things I’m doing with this company!