Editor’s Corner: Intently looking for internships

I feel as if I’ve exhausted every search engine and website available to find that dream internship that I’ve been yearning for since I started college. I thought it would be easy to find an internship — many older students have made it seem that way — but I’ve found that it’s anything but.
Whenever I start to look for internships I find myself getting easily discouraged, especially when I’m clicking on page 30 of internships.com and only finding a few positions that interest me.
I find myself in a cold sweat when I start to think: What if I never find a suitable internship? What if I apply and no one accepts me? What if I’m being too picky?
I’m constantly reminding myself to forget about the what-ifs and to not give up. So I click to page 31 and continue the search for that perfect internship.
Internships are important for students who are looking to add something to a résumé, and gain more experience in their field of study. According to Forbes, 69% of companies with 100 or more employees offered full-time jobs to their interns in 2012.
Landing an internship could help me get my dream job — which is why I find myself persevering through page 40 and beyond on my continuous search.
Some may say that I’m being too choosy and that I can’t afford to have that attitude at a time like this. I should just find something that has to do with my field of study and take it. Experience is experience, right?
Even though most internships aren’t paid (with the exception of a lucky few), it’s the closest thing to experiencing what a real job is like. If I plan on doing something for the rest of my life, I want to make sure that I enjoy it and don’t absolutely dread going to work every day — and the same thing goes for an internship, especially when you have to commute into New York everyday.
Not only do I want to make sure that I’m going to gain some experience, but I want to make sure I’m going to have a great time doing it. In a way, you have to be a little selective.
I have to admit that I really didn’t think finding an internship would be this hard. However, this endless search should prepare me for what is to come in the search for a job after graduation. Like anything else, nothing is going to be handed to me on a silver platter — I know I’m going to have to work for it.
By using all of my resources — professors, fellow students and specialized websites — I know that I will eventually find something that is perfect for me.
That is why I tell myself not to give up as I click on the next page, or Google internship opportunities once again. Next semester, this will all pay off, when I’m in New York working as an intern for the job I’ve always dreamed of.

-Danielle Gittleman
Opinion Editor

Printed in the 3/26/14 edition.