By Samantha Bendernagel, Peer for Career

It was my sophomore year at Baruch, and I was starting to feel a bit left out. All my friends had internships, and there I was, second year into college with no experience pertaining to my field. I decided that it was finally time to take my future into my own hands. I was determined to get that perfect summer internship!

First, I revised my resume by going onto the STARR Career Development Center’s website and referencing their resume packet. Next on the list was my LinkedIn account. I updated all of my information and did my best not to regurgitate everything on my resume. However, I made sure not to spare any of my accomplishments. “No longer restricted to one page,” I thought.

Finally it came time for the hard part, which was actually finding an internship. I logged onto my STARR Search account and checked for the following: Was it paid, and if so, how much? Was it part-time or full-time? What was the start and end date? Where was it located/how long would my commute be? Did I fit their criteria? Did they fit mine?

Eventually, I found a company that I deemed a good fit. It was exactly what I wanted—a hands-on learning environment where I’d be given my own projects and responsibilities. Not to mention, it was paid! I then went onto the company’s website and conducted further research. Based on their job description and the additional information I found, I wrote them a personalized cover letter where I expressed my interest for the position and explained how I could contribute to their program.

I emailed my files to the hiring manager and hoped for the best. Although the experience was intimidating, I learned a lot about the application process. Regardless of whether I was to hear back not, I was proud of myself for what I had accomplished.

One week later, I received an email back! They were impressed with my credentials as well as my knowledge of the company. My interview is next week…wish me luck!