A Journey of Landing an Internship Abroad

By Khalid Khalid, Peer for Career

Interning abroad is indeed exciting. It has been one of my main goals to achieve during my studies in Berlin, Germany. As an International Business major, I knew having such a practical experience would pay off in different ways down the lines in the future, which motivated me to take every possible effort to make it a reality. Although there were quite a few obstacles that I had to overcome at first, there were definitely plenty of valuable things to note and learn from the German culture along the way.

First of all, due to my high involvement on and off Baruch’s campus, I felt confident enough that I had what it took to get an internship abroad easily. But this was not necessarily the case. To nearly everything there is a price, and I certainly had to pay mine in advance as well. Unfortunately, because I took for granted the first internship opportunity offered through my host university, I ended up not getting it for two main reasons. Firstly, the company did not clearly state the available position they had open, and I quite frankly did not do enough asking to find out. This obviously put me at a disadvantage to be well prepared for the interview and to know whether it was in my best interest to intern with them or not. Secondly, there was a very limited correlation between the position offered and my career field, which I only came to realize after the interview. Reflecting on this experience, I learned to utilize my time more efficiently, take actions to find out every possible detail about companies, and be more prepared before walking into an interview.

Fast forward: with very limited German-speaking abilities, I felt left out and overwhelmed, given that all my German classmates were corporate students who already had been working with companies for years. I started sending out my resume through my host school not only to known firms, but also more obscure firms I found interesting on the internet. However, most of the companies I applied to either required some German speaking skills or no less than three months long-term internships, which would be virtually impossible because our spring semester in Baruch starts by the end of January.

Realizing that networking might be of help, after one of the lectures I asked my International Economics Professor about any multinational companies she might be aware of. The lecture was about international trade, and it was a great way to approach the discussion. And as they say, “You don’t lose when you try.” Sure enough, she had a perfect suggestion that seemed to be just what I was looking for.

A few weeks later, I received an email from my professor’s colleague and was informed of an exciting internship opportunity with Hoffmann Dental Manufaktur, where I could intern along with the Global Supply Chain Marketing Manager. I promptly started doing my research on the company, its history, mission statement, my prospective supervisor and the two people who were going to interview me. Most importantly, I researched the role in the company and other factors I needed to know about Hoffmann. Impressed by all the information I gathered, I even became more eager to be a part of a company that supplies dental products worldwide.

Due to cultural differences, I had to pay careful attention to my resume and cover letter and make sure they were precisely what Germans look for. In Germany, applicants are encouraged to have their resumes on more than one page and chronologically ordered, with colorful font and a personal picture on the top of the first page. Now this is something completely different from what we are used to here in New York. For instance, employers in New York (and across the country) think it’s more appropriate for students to have their resumes in one single sided page. This is so mainly because there usually will be a stack of resumes during recruiting, and employers just want to see very briefly the highlights of our achievements and experiences. In addition, including personal information on the resume, such as a photo, nationality, age, and marital status, while common on European resumes, is highly discouraged when applying for jobs in the United States.

To present my own American culture while also meeting the German hiring culture, I decided to go with a one-page resume and write a cover letter that meets the standards and expectations of German employers. And to figure out what Germans look for in cover letters, I stopped by the International Office of my host university. Luckily enough, I was able to have it looked over by the International Internship Coordinator, who provided me with helpful tips about Hoffmann as well.

Looking back now after making it through that the whole application and interviewing process, I feel honored to have been accepted to intern with a dental multinational corporation that has been successful for over three decades. With all the challenges I have confronted and the learning experiences I have gained, I can only say that nothing feels better than reaping the fruits of one’s labor!

A Freshman Year Retrospective

By Michelle Sheu, Peer for Career

Freshman year was a tumultuous trip that seemed to last forever, like the daze of a summer break, but ending all too soon.

It’s the same trite story played ad infinitum, like the new kid in the big city, nothing particularly unique or new in the “growing up” phase that we all succumb to. But these individual experiences shape a student’s perspective of the world and their outlook of the future. Although we’re no longer children on the jungle gyms, stumbling and fumbling through life in our adventures and mishaps, we as city students are in the midst of our core, everlasting memories.

Looking back at my freshman year as a current sophomore, I begin to recount the incredible people I met, the late night study sessions, the struggles to find comfort food that hit the spot, sneaking said food into the library and staying there until 12 AM, and hundreds more memories throughout the course of late August into mid May. I already miss my freshman status as an underdog, perhaps because I’m on the edge of the responsibilities my sophomore status brings forth, as I begin beefing up my resume with activities.

In my first year, I pushed myself to limits that I didn’t know were possible, fled from my comfort zone, and crumbled a few times — but in the most perfect ways possible. In between the awkward phases of meeting new people and throwing myself in unfamiliar situations, I learned an incredible amount about myself. By no means was this easy, but it was insanely gratifying to see who I really am, and finding myself through this difficult process.

At one point, I found myself overwhelmed, consumed with ambition, scraping by on bits of time, not getting enough sleep or meals in, weight dropping due to stress. I was that freshman who so desperately wanted to get involved, as if this was my first and last opportunity to do so. I was deeply immersed into the fast pace of the city life, that I had little to no time for myself to reflect. In a dramatic whirlwind of events, I found myself even hating Baruch, and as an arts and design major, I felt estranged from its business rooted nature.

And for a while, it stuck and stung. The school I was destined to spend the next three years of my life, only to feel pigeonholed and cast aside. I let myself stay stagnant during that period, but gradually crawled my way out. It was when I decided to take charge and assume control of my life that I empowered myself to disassociate from some stressors, and reach out for help and support from the amazing friends that I met at Baruch. I picked myself up, began interning at the Lawrence N. Field Center at Baruch College for 3D printing and technology research, started working at STARR Career Development Center as a Peer, and developed my own ad-hoc major in Transmedia Storytelling — I found belonging, contention and fulfillment at Baruch, reinstating my love and pride for my school.

The growing up story is cheesier than 90s Disney movies, but so important to one’s development of character, ambitions, and understanding of self through these low peaks. I might be a sophomore now, but I know that this year alone will bring forth more and more changes that I can’t even begin to anticipate. Days piling up into weeks, weeks into months, and so much more time in between to have my senses knocked out of me and develop thousands of new perspectives. New York City is mine to explore, and Baruch College is there as my support.

How to Get Ahead: The Journey of Obtaining an Internship

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!

Lessons Learned: An International Student’s Story

By Jubi Gauchan, Peer for Career

My journey as an international student in the USA has not been easy. It has been a road fraught with difficulties and heartbreaks. In a world where many people come into New York knowing what they want to become, I was the exact opposite! I had just given up on my dream that I had since I was six, of becoming a doctor due to the enormous costs of medical school. Thus my first steps into NY: no idea what I wanted to major in, experiencing the brutal cold and not knowing anybody here. It was a start afresh after living for 18 years in Asia.

I was initially attending another college before transferring to Baruch during my sophomore year. Thus, I was one of the newest newbies you could find at Baruch: an international student and a transfer student!

Coming to Baruch was an eye-opener. To quote our President, we have our “own mini-UN” here, filled with people from all over the world speaking so many different languages! The potpourri was intimidating, but awe-striking. As a sophomore still, I had no idea what I truly wanted to major in. I was torn between accounting and finance. That first semester, I became a commuter student, going for classes and then heading back home. Time was just ticking by and I still had no clue as to what I wanted to major in. Also, I barely knew anyone. I knew that this soon had to change.

By chance, I happened to come across a brochure for the Rising Starr Sophomore Program (RSSP). I decided to challenge myself and break out of my comfort zone and applied. I had no confidence that I would even get in as they were targeting the best sophomores at Baruch. As luck would have it, I got into the program where I met so many bright people who were in similar situations as me (not knowing their exact major yet) but very much involved at Baruch. Looking at them as an inspiration, I took up the offer of joining Baruch’s oldest Honors society, Sigma Alpha Delta, in order to become more active on campus and get to know more people.

Long story short, one step led to another and I ended up joining T.E.A.M. Baruch. Through there, I met the most wonderful people on campus- people who are my closest friends at Baruch- and learned even more about leadership. After the general leadership training, I underwent another semester of rigorous training to be in the Peers for Careers program. Meanwhile, my year long journey with RSSP and the Starr Career Development Center helped me to decide upon my major.

It was a daunting task to finally decide that Finance was going to be my major. I was afraid. As an international student, it would be even more difficult to land a job in Finance, and all my international friends were pushing me to do accounting because of the perception that accounting is recession-proof. Regardless, I went with my gut and declared Finance as a major. Now came the tough part: finding an internship. With no prior finance-related work experience and little knowledge of the finance world, I took my major classes and went to events, workshops and career fairs. As I challenged myself more, I faced setbacks and triumphs and grew more as a person. Soon, after countless hours of preparations, I finally landed my first internship which then created even more opportunities for me.

Now in my senior year, as I look back, I see that all these years have been extremely challenging but equally as rewarding. In my journey as an international student, I have found these lessons helpful and I hope you find use of them too:

1) Never follow the path most traveled. Listen to your heart, find your own path and create your own opportunities. Believe that you can make it happen. Believe in yourself!

2) There will be days when you feel like nothing is going right in the world for you and everything seems to be unattainable. At that point, take a deep breath and just go do something else for that moment, such as watching your favorite TV shows, going for a long run, or talking with your close friends (which always helps!) Soon enough, you will find that the tasks you have to complete are not as daunting anymore.

3) Always be humble. There are so many people from different backgrounds that one can learn from, be they your professors, your peers, or the many people who keep our school running. Everybody has their own life stories that we can learn something from.

4) Do not burn bridges. Nobody will remain where they are at this particular point of time. Life is a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. There may come a day when they are in a more favorable position than you. At that point, it is not the words that you spoke that they will remember, but the way you made them feel.

5) Always be grateful for the opportunities you have. Take advantage of being in one of the greatest cities in the world and at Baruch! Also, never consider something as beneath you, for every experience- good or bad- helps you to grow as a person and leads you to the next step in your journey to success.
In conclusion, regardless of our backgrounds, in our challenging world today it is all too easy to get caught up in our fast-paced lives and forget that we do not live forever. Hence, live each moment to the fullest. I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes by Steve Prefontaine:

“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”