It’s STILL Not Too Late to Get a Summer Internship

Hey everyone-

I know it’s scary to face the music. You may be thinking that since summer vacation has already started, you’re never going to get that internship you were hoping you’d be working this summer. And maybe it’s a result of the luck of the draw, and maybe it’s a result of bad timing on your part. All that doesn’t matter now; what matters now is gearing up to give it another shot- your best shot. What does that mean? Let me give you a play-by-play of how to get a summer internship:

1. The best way to start is by registering with Internship Exchange, an amazing online database with hundred of available internships. This database is great because it’s only accessible by about 20 schools in the United States- that means that your chances of getting an internship are boosted way up! Plus, you can see internships all over the States: San Francisco, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, etc. Easy instructions for how to register can be found on our website at www.usfca.edu/career.

2. Bring us your resume. There’s no way around it. If you thought getting an internship was competitive before the summer started, think of how many other people are scrambling for internships. That means that you need to be in tip-top shape to even be a competitor. Employers look at a resume for an average of 15-20 seconds- and those are the good ones! If your resume is a mess, those employers are bound to take one glance at it before tossing it in the shredder. We are offering Drop-In Hours Monday-Friday from 11am-1pm. You don’t even have to make an appointment to see us if you come during those hours.

3. Fine-tune for the position. This means that for EACH position you want to apply to, you need a stellar cover letter. We can also help you edit it during Drop-In Hours, but get a head start on writing one by again visiting our website and accessing the Job & Internship Resource Guide under the “Quick Links” on the right-hand side. Fine-tuning also means practicing your interviewing skills. We help students do this by setting up mock interviews with our professional staff members and videotaping you so that you can see what the employer sees during an interview. Sounds scary, right? It can be, but it’s ridiculously helpful.

We look forward to seeing you!

-Seghel

signing out...

Dear whoever's out there...

This is my final blog for the Career Services Center, and I want to take a minute to reflect on my year here, and offer up any words of encouragement and/or advice that I can think of...

My time at CSC has been an incredible experience. I have learned SO much from the professional staff members, student staff, and from all of you. I hope you all understand what a valuable resource the counselors and student staff are and are able to use them throughout your time at USF. They all have so much knowledge and experience to share to help guide you along your path, whether you're a freshman looking to draft your first resume, or an alumni who is ready for a career change, and everyone in between.

I also want to give you all a heads up about the changes with CSC and all of University Life in general. We are now officially located on the 5th floor. It's going to take us awhile to get used to being with so many other offices and to work out the kinks, so bear with us!

Our drop in hours are now officially on summer hours, 11am-1pm, Monday through Friday, and to make appointments with the professional staff, you'll still call the same number 415-422-6216, and let the person on the other end know that you'd like to make an appointment with a career counselor!

Again, I just want to say what an amazing and knowledgeable group of people work at the Career Services Center, and that I hope you are able to utilize them in your job preparation and search along the way!

It has been a complete pleasure working with each and every one of them and you! Have a fantastic summer, and enjoy the rest of your time at USF!

-Allison

A Response to J.'s Comment

Dear J.,

That's definitely a rough boat to be in.  Like I said in a previous post, rejection is difficult to deal with.  There are multiple factors involved in not being selected to fill a job position though.  It may just be that the economy is creating an extremely intense level of competition for jobs, simply because companies can't afford to hire as many people as before.  It could also be that you need to brush up on some interviewing skills and strategies with our professional staff members here at the Career Services Center.  However, from your comment, it seems that you prepared yourself very well for the last interview you had.

All I can say is to not be discouraged.  I know it stinks, but letting it affect you intensely may also come across in your demeanor with the next interview you land.  It sounds like you're trying your best though, and that's great- keep it up!  Lastly, as soon as you have enrolled at USF, come by our office.  We're moving to the 5th floor of the University Center (the UC) after May 17th.  We have drop-in hours everyday, where you can come without an appointment during the allotted time of the day (usually between 11am to 2pm) and talk to a career counselor about the job rut you're in.  We look forward to seeing you!

Take care,
Career Planning Peers

J. said: 


I feel like T______T about this summer.

I applied to over 70 paid and unpaid summer internships and jobs ever since December 2009 and received either rejection letter or no replies at all. It's all disappointing because in the past, I usually received a couple of interviews and managed to get a job during school years and summers.

Then a top company, whose products I always admired since childhood, offered me an exclusive interview. AND the position was paid, which would greatly help me pay off some of my college tuition, since my family's economically burdened. But what I cared most was gaining new skills and insight about one of my favorite industries -- and possibly have a future job there. I had the experience and requirements of this position, so I felt extremely determined about getting this.

I spent 3 days researching this company -- their promotions, background, products, tasks of the department I applied for ... everything. I also studied what to say/not to say during an interview and rehearsed my answers a few times.

At the end, I tried my best ... but I guess my best wasn't good enough. Last week, I received information that I wasn't picked. Being overly sensitive, I agonized for days. "Was it because a student from a better, more famous and prestigious university got the job?" "Did my answer stray off from what they asked?" "Maybe it's also because I don't have the major that's related to their department, even though I stated my interest and related job skills..." All my flaws and mistakes I believed I made still haunts me.

I pretty much gave up, but I'll still apply for more jobs. I might have to fork over some cash for summer classes this year, since my current college won't offer them. I'm transferring to USF this fall, but since I'm not an official student yet, I won't get financial aid for this summer. T______T