Learning Experience 3 Interview Process
The
job/internship search is the number one stressor of college life. Not really
the tests/personations for class, those aren't too bad most of the time. The
search is a different beast because it vaults you into the unknown. Trying to
determine where you will be for the summer and once the great college time
comes to an end is a scary thought. It's also frustrating when you see your
friends figuring it out and landing jobs before you, and you ask yourself
"What am I doing wrong? I've applied to more than 15 jobs this month and
haven't heard a thing!" This was my approach for quite a while. Running
into dead ends at every turn it seemed like. Everyone always gives the advice
to use your connections, but as a young college kid, I didn't think I had many
connections. With that closed mindset, I just dropped as many resumes as I
could and prayed to get lucky. But junior year I decided to find/make my own
connections. I really wanted a finance job from Alcon, so I set out to talk to
everyone that interned there last year. Turns out it was three TCU kids, so I
met up with them over the course of the week to get tips/advice and ask if they
would mind recommending me for the job. They all did, and gave me some great
info for the interview process. I killed that interview and walked out the
most confident I ever had been before. Thanks to just a little bit of work on
the front end, I got an offer call the next day for the internship spot. Seeing
this play out in a real-life, I realized how crucial it is to either have
connections or just make your own. I applied this to my full-time search as
well and it went a lot smoother than all my previous resumes drops. I got a ton
of interviews but failed to get an offer for a few months. But I kept at it,
and luck turned my way over winter break as I got an offer from a great company
I'm really excited about in Fort Worth.
Great post, thanks. This is like a self-taught learning experience. Good for you. Connections are important, but so is perseverance to the point of obstinance. Never give up on your dreams.
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