Winners of the Spring Student Story Contest Announced!

Out of the thousands of entries we received these past few months, our team at InternMatch has finally wheedled it down to what we thought were the top 5 Student Stories that exemplified perseverance, originality, and of course, a bit of spunk.  These chosen stories we selected shared how their internships were larger than life and had a direct impact on their professional future. It was a terribly difficult process for us because there were so many contending entries. Even though your story was not chosen, know that it has made an impact on our team and your peers one way or another. And without further adieu, here are the winning entries!

“Don’t Fret, It’s Only Reality” By Sammantha Johnson, a fresh college graduate from Texas State University, with a B.A. Mass Communication & Electronic Media

Sammantha Johnson, who wrote about the grounded realities of working in high fashion with the likes big name department stores such as Neiman Marcus. During her internship, which was filled to the brim, with inventory sweeps, merchandizing, and organizing, Sammantha managed to keep her cool by intermixing her hectic work life with much needed yoga and Netflixing.

“Advice for the Advised” By Mary Robb, a Public Relations and Marketing major

Sharing her story, Mary gives a new perspective on what it means to “network”. Sure, we have heard it all, the importance of networking, the importance of “who you know” and not “what you know”, but when it comes down to actually networking in person, most of us are clueless. Thanks to Mary, she sets the reader with a clear roadmap on how best to manage our professional connections we have at our disposal.

“How An English Major Got An Internship at JP Morgan” By Andy C. Ng, a junior at NYU studying English, Urban Education & Social Entrepreneurship

Ever wonder whether or not your major directly plays a role in your career? Andy Ng shares his story on how he overcame the stereotypical English major, one who would rather spend time reading alone with the likes of Dave Eggers and Walt Whitman, than exploring the corporate world that is investment banking. His story is one in which many of us can relate to. Although many of us feel pigeonholed by our majors, Andy shows us that with hard work, countless hours of research, and a can-do attitude, that we are not slaves to our coursework.

“5 Ways to Stand Out Among Millennials” By Carissa Collins, a junior at Gordon College, just north of Boston

Millennials have succumbed to the notion that to be different or to be unique is too much of a hassle. But when this hassle becomes a goal strangely enough, we find that standing out only increases our employment chances. Carissa Collins shows the reader five clear steps on how to break out from the crowd and demonstrate to employers both professionalism as well as individualism. With her distinct steps, readers everywhere will only benefit from her guidance.

“How To Find The Job You Actually Want: 5 Ways That Work” By Briana Okyere, a recently graduate from San Francisco State University with a degree in American History

For practically all college students, there is the dreadful search for internships and entry-level jobs. The inevitable questions always arise: Where do I begin? Where do I look?  Briana Okyere,  was no different, lost in the confusing road that is internship lane. Luckily for us, she shares the lessons she has learned from the hundreds of interviews, the countless cover letters, and the never-ending resumes so that we do not have to go through the same frustration that plagues college students countrywide.