4 Things to Remember If You Haven’t Had an Internship Yet (and You’re Freaking Out)

Every year, expectations get higher and students are expected to do more. For example, gone are the days when all you had to do was take a few tests and write a few essays to get into college. Now schools want to see students with volunteer work, extracurricular activities, work experience, diverse hobbies, high GPAs and so much more.

And guess what? The job market is no different.

More and more people are talking–actually, obsessing–about internships, and so many people are freaked out if they:

• Had one but it wasn’t very impressive (or worse, they hated it).
• Were only accepted to an unpaid internship.
• Haven’t had one, and can’t seem to get one.
• Haven’t had one, and chose to do other work instead.

If you fall into one or more of these categories, I am here to assure you that you’re not alone.

There are plenty of reasons people don’t get internships, and there are plenty of reasons  why people haven’t had them yet, but the one thing to remember is not to freak out! Just because you haven’t had an internship yet doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get hired in the future or pursue your dream career.

Here are some key things to remember if you haven’t had an internship yet and are nervous about what that means.

1. Your Personal Experience (Whatever It May Be) Is Useful

Like a college application, most employers are looking at your resume as a whole, and they are taking into account your volunteer work, your work experience, your extracurriculars and everything else.

Hiring managers want motivated and highly engaged employees, and your resume, even if it doesn’t have an internship on it, will show that. Whether you were a club president or a club member, the class president or a member of the class, your personal experiences are unique and can bring positive change. Our experiences help us to develop useful skills, and that’s valued.

If you want more help crafting your resume to show your skills and experiences, get more information on the WayUp Guide and check out this article on ways to tweak your resume.

2. Work Experience Doesn’t Count For Nothing

Okay, maybe you haven’t had an internship, and maybe you haven’t had a job that made you commute, sit at a desk or do any of the typical requirements. Maybe, like me, you were a camp counselor, tutor, nanny, dog walker, pet sitter or something completely removed from an office experience. Guess what? That’s OK! In fact, it is more than OK; it’s great.

Employers understand that a lot of internships are unpaid, and a lot of students (like me) need that money they make over school breaks. They also understand that regardless of the experience, those skills are transferable.

For example, say you were a nanny and now you are applying to work in marketing. Perhaps you haven’t had to work on a social media campaign deadline, but you are great at being flexible and adapting to your surroundings; when a kid cries, you jump into action, you think quickly on your feet when some sort of ruckus occurs and you’ve even learned to lead. Getting kids to listen to you is a huge challenge, and if you can do that, then you can definitely get your co-workers or whichever client you are pitching to listen to your ideas.

3. Work Ethic Goes a Long Way

One thing that employers love to see is employees willing to put in the extra work and go that extra mile. Maybe it means coming in 10 minutes earlier every morning, formatting a presentation style because you found out that the company you’re pitching to uses red in its logo or working hard and grinding away at everyday tasks. 

I challenge you to take that extra step. Show your employer that you can put in that extra effort, get up a littler earlier or work a little later and notice little details that may help in the long run and perhaps prove to be essential. Hard work really does go a long way!

4. Willingness To Learn Is Essential

Don’t be afraid to be wrong. Take chances, make mistakes and ask questions. Before you go into an interview, make sure you look up the company beforehand, have questions ready for the employer and show them that you are excited to learn.

When an interviewer asks you questions about experience in areas in which you may have none, ask them where you could learn to do that skill, figure out who you could talk to, where you could take a course or even just tell them you are willing to learn.  Most managers want to see employees with ambition; they want their workers to take initiative, and with this go getter attitude, you are sure to impress an interviewer; it’ll help the team improve as a whole, so don’t shy away!

If you haven’t had that dream internship yet, don’t freak out; there’s still plenty of time to get one if you want or need one, and you already have a lot going for you!