With the condition of the job market, it’s easy to get terrified of impending graduation. Are you going to be able to find a job? Is your field looking to fill entry-level positions? The truth that we have to face is that the time it takes to find a fitting job is growing a little bit longer. It’s time to get creative.
For example, you might want to consider a postgraduation internship. More and more companies are offering internship programs to graduates, which are geared toward those with the classroom education but no on-job experience. Maybe the field you’re seeking to go into isn’t full of internship opportunities, and it has left your resume lacking. A postgraduation internship might be a great opportunity to get your feet wet in your particular desired field.
Another option? Try creating your own internship. If there’s an organization that you want to work for and they don’t have any internship positions posted, why not try to get a hold of someone working there and suggest one? The initiative you take in “creating” an internship could serve you in two ways:
1) You’re showing the organization that you have a sincere interest in working for them in the future.
2) You’re showing the organization that you’re willing to learn the ins and outs before you try diving in for a career.
Don’t get discouraged with the struggling economy – meet the challenges of it and get creative.
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Maggie,
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of creating your own internship - I cold-called the publication I am interning for now and asked if I could help them out. It's sort of free labor, but it is giving me a good experience and a good indicator of "is journalism what I really want to do, or not?" As of right now, I am not sure.
Do you have any suggestions for breaking into the nonprofit sector with "creative interning?"
I know it is going to be hard to find a job once i graduate in June so I have been doing just what you have said. Looking for an internship to start out. I have actually found a few that are paid internships and i am currently waiting to hear back from both of them.
ReplyDeleteHey Laura, sorry I didn't realize that there was a response here. I'm actually going to have a post in the upcoming weeks about a networking event with nonprofits - it's not necessarily the "creative interning" I was talking about here, but it will definitely be a chance to talk to a lot of nonprofits!
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