From a basic resume to a creative one, and from an online portfolio to a printed one, Jenelle Young, senior graphic design major, has been preparing herself for the internship deadline on Feb. 8, but until very recently, she had no luck.
While some majors do not require the student to have an internship, others, such as graphic design, make interning a mandatory graduation requirement.
With so few jobs available and so many college graduates, having an internship is a key process in getting one’s foot in the door to a career. With so many students applying for internships, they are not only vital but also highly competitive to get.
Young found it difficult to find an internship that will help give her experience in the field she wants, let alone an internship at all.
“I have applied to 160 internships,” Young said. “I am originally from Portland so the first 60 were for around there then the remaining were for all over the country and even in other countries.”
She submitted applications in many states to countries in Europe, but Young was not offered a internship, until last week she earned a spot at Bellator MMA.
Until then, Adidas, an athletic gear manufacturer, was the only company which responded to her applications. The answer was no.
“The biggest struggle is getting your foot in the door,” Young said. “It is not what you know but who you know in this world.”
On the opposite spectrum, some students find it extremely easy finding an internship that suits them.
For Kylie Shackelford, junior Christian behavioral science major, the process of getting an internship was easier than what most students experience.
“It is not required but something that I want to do,” Shackelford said. “I really like the idea of getting as much experience as I can while I am here in college with the extra time I have.”
Since an internship is required for her graduation this spring, Young said this process has been extremely stressful. She explained that she has little to no free time outside of school because all her effort is spent applying for an internship.
With the semester closing in for Young was adamant about not giving up until she found an internship opportunity. Her hard work paid off when she attained the position at Bellator in Newport Beach.
Shackelford said she is in the process of being accepted into an internship program with a church in Oregon where she would be working against social injustice and sending missionary teams out. This internsip caters to her major.
Aside from the experience, Shackelford said she finds internships important for college students because it helps them figure out specifically what they want to do within their field of study.
