I suppose one has to fail in order to succeed. At least, that’s my takeaway of the process I have undertaken these past few weeks – in my attempt to create a CV and gain an internship with a company over the course of Summer.
Back in April where I first started this tightrope walk of balancing my exams with summer preparation, I was wildly optimistic regarding my chances of obtaining an internship at a company in my particular fields of interest – data science or financial services. Armed with a hastily composed, reluctantly approved (by my father) C.V and a simplistic attitude towards the whole situation, I took aim and shot for 3 internships positions in varying company profiles – confident in my ability to secure at least one out of the 3.
I suppose a sense of overestimation of my appeal to companies, aided by a sense of what could perhaps be described as self-entitlement led to a sense of shock upon being rejected by all 3 positions. To save me the full brunt of reproach, I will state that a particular discriminating factor may simply have been my age and that idea of me being in H.S. – lacking the quintessential degree touted by all most if not all companies at being the barest minimum for even an unpaid internship, not to mention the vast number of positions requiring a masters or PhD even, simply for a foot in the door.
3 positions quickly turned into well over 20, with a fervent desire to gain and secure an internship prior to the beginning of my examinations – unable to maintain balance during the tightrope walk of juggling the two matters. It was here that I started to understand the power of connections and networking as well. Family, Family friends as well as past acquaintances – all of them were tasked with scouting out and calling to my attention internships they may be able to secure for me. Favours are a form of currency in this world – an influential person in your personal debt far more powerful than simply being paid upfront in monetary value. A friend contacting an uncle who contacts his boss who contacts another and lands you a particular position, all due to a simple favor you carried out for the friend.
A few positions did come up – only in industries with the barest connection to my own personal interests; hence I gave them up. It was then when I received an email regarding internships secured via the schools own connections (yet another example of the importance of networking and the power of belonging to an influential institution – with influential alumni and patrons). This is where the idea of refinement and improvement come in. My resume, slowly edited over time, each rejection forcing me to adapt and change it just slightly, had resulted in a halfway decent product, enough to contend with and perhaps even allow me to gain an internship with Kroll Associates, the company I had immediately singled out as being close to perfect for my goals and interests.
Long story short, I have received a confirmation email regarding an internship at Kroll. I GOT IN!!!!
Lookin forward to what comes next.
