In the modern-day world, it may feel like your academics come second to real world experience. After all, people often say that experience is everything, but how do you get this experience in the workforce? Especially if you are a freshman in college, the process of finding a college internship can feel overwhelming and you may not feel qualified for any of the positions that interest you. You may even find that a lot of the entry-level internships require you to have previous work or internship experience. Needless to say, the hours of time and dedication spent towards researching companies and preparing application materials can begin to feel hopeless.
While everyone is discussing their summer plans, you may feel a wave of anxiety running throughout your body since you are still awaiting your answer. Whether you are procrastinating the summer internship application process or you are waiting to hear back from employers, stress will naturally occur. While it can be tempting to let your stress consume you and to dwell on your current circumstance, that will not help your mental health in the long-run. Luckily, there are strategies you can adopt in your daily routine to put your mind at ease.
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with mental health therapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, couples, and families with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, life transitions, and more. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and teletherapy sessions to residents of New Jersey, New York, and Florida.
The Summer Internship Application Process
The process of applying to summer internships is a unique type of stress that mostly teens and adults face. If you want to gain real life experience, you know that it is essential to build up that resume and send those applications out. This stressful process becomes necessary in the grand scheme of things in order to reach your professional and academic goals.
Perhaps all you knew were fun summers in the past and, now, your vacation is not really a vacation anymore. This life transition will take some getting used to, so it is important to recognize the purpose of a summer internship.
Summer internships have the ability to help the development of your professional life while setting up your career trajectory as a college student. The first step in finding an internship that suits your needs is doing your research. Typically, this is done by scouring the Internet for the perfect internship that gives you what you are looking for and fits your credentials. You will inevitably spend a lot of hours scrolling, reading job descriptions, researching businesses and their values, and doubting that you have what it takes to succeed. While you are in the midst of this step, try not to stress out (although it is easier said than done). Everything will fall into place when you find a good internship match for you even if it happens at a different timeline or pace in comparison to your friends and peers.
If you are looking to apply to internships, it is important to focus on aspects of this process that you can control. For example, while you cannot control how the employer will react to your application materials, you can focus on giving those application materials your all. You can attend resume building workshops that your school may offer or, if that is not available to you, you can look for resume tips online. If an internship application requires an essay or cover letter, you may want to have an advisor or trusted professor look it over for you before submitting it. At Stevens Institute of Technology, you have open access to the Stevens Career Center, and it is encouraged that you take advantage of these resources.
Remember that even the life experiences that seem ‘small’ or ‘insignificant’ hold value. You may want to skip adding your babysitting jobs to your resume, but these were still work opportunities that provided you with a great deal of growth, both personally and professionally.
One would think that, after you submit your internship application, the stress you were experiencing goes out the window, but that is not exactly the case. After you press that submit or send button, questions may start racing in your mind. What if I messed up some part of the application? What if I addressed the cover page to the wrong person? What if I made a typo in my essay? What if my resume is not perfect? What if I am not qualified? All of the what ifs can begin to take up a lot of space in your mind. For help with erasing some of these not-so-positive questions or thoughts, check out our blog “6 Ways To Handle Intrusive Thoughts.”
After submitting your application, you then play the waiting game. You wait weeks and maybe even months before hearing back from the companies you applied to. During this period of time, you may wonder if human resources is even going to look at your application. You start questioning everything until you hear back from at least one organization or business.
Once you hear back from a company, the formal interview process begins. As if you were not already stressed out, you now need to prepare for your interview. No matter how stressful the process is or even if it ends with you not getting the given internship, you will end the process with a feeling of accomplishment, resting assured that you gave it 100%. Many others have been through this stress and you can get through it too. At the end of the stressful process, hopefully you will be rewarded with the internship of your dreams.
If you are still struggling professionally, check out our blog “How Counseling Can Help Your Career.”
The Role of A Summer Internship
Getting a summer internship is exciting! It can give you a sense of your professional likes and dislikes by experiencing the work for yourself.
Here are some important aspects of the summer internship experience as a college student:
Professional experience
Hands-on learning
Skill development
Networking opportunities
Industry insights
Building professional professionals
Clarification
Exploring different industries
Clarifying your career goals
Personal growth
Confidence building (For more information, read our blog “5 Ways to Build Self-Confidence”)
Adaptability
Potential job offers
Conversion to part-time or full-time positions
How can I cope with the stress of the summer internship application process as a college student?
Searching for a summer internship is an emotional rollercoaster. You may hear the ding of an email coming through with hopes that it is an employer reaching out for an interview, only to find that it is a spam email. Your phone may ring bright and early in the work day and you have hopes that it is a recruiter, but it is just a family member. We have all been in this boat before. You feel anxious, constantly on edge and worrying about things outside of your control. Check out our blog “How Psychodynamic Therapy Can Help You Overcome Anticipatory Anxiety” for some tips.
The truth is that a lot of work goes into your applications only for you to receive radio silence from employers at times. Before you start receiving internship offers and see career progress, it is likely that you will have to go through your fair share of rejection. You may feel like the internship process is completely out of control and, while parts of it are, you still have the power to put your best foot forward and give the companies the best application you can possibly offer. For support, read our blog “7 Ways To Let Go Of Control Issues.”
It is normal to feel pressure, stress, sadness, and worry when it comes to applying for summer internships. Simply put, the internship search process takes an emotional toll so it is important that you find healthy outlets for these feelings.
Some healthy coping skills include:
Meeting with a career coach
Working out (Read our blog “5 Ways Exercise Benefits Your Mental Health”)
Meditating (Check out our blog “How Meditation Can Lead To Stress Reduction”)
Reading
Journaling
Spending time with friends
Dancing
And more!
The internship search process is not an easy one so you must find what works for you so you can unload your stress while not neglecting your self-care or the school work already on your plate. To find what coping skills work for you, check out our blog “The 8 Forms of Self Care and How You Can Practice Them.” Even though you are a college student, it is still important to prioritize your mental health.
Prioritizing your mental health in college is important for the following reasons:
Academic performance:
Students who prioritize their mental health experience better focus, productivity, and concentration
Emotional resilience:
When you take care of your mental health, you know what coping skills and problem-solving skills to deploy
Stress management:
College is stressful and knowing stress management techniques can reduce the negative impact of stress on your well-being (For more information, “Everything You Need To Know About Stress Management Therapy” is a must-read)
Personal growth:
College is a time where you explore who you really are and, when your mental health is right, you can fully explore your interests, values, and goals
Read our blog “5 Ways I Prioritize My Mental Health In College” to hear advice directly from a college student!
Stress and Anxiety Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey for College Students
If you find that you cannot overcome the stress and anxiety of the summer internship application process on your own, speaking to a stress and anxiety therapist is recommended.
In anxiety counseling, you and your stress therapist at Anchor Therapy will:
Identify your triggers
Develop healthy coping skills
Build emotional resilience
Address negative thought patterns
Improve your self-confidence
Explore your career goals
Help manage your time and priorities
Create a plan of action
At Anchor Therapy, our counselors understand the struggles of seeking higher education and being a college student. We conveniently offer in-person sessions at our downtown Hoboken, New Jersey office. If you find that you cannot get away from campus down to River Street, we also offer virtual therapy for college students.
For more insight into therapy for college students, read our blog “How Can CBT Help College Students Struggling With Anxiety?”.
What happens if I do not get a summer internship?
With all of the above internship aspects being said, not being able to secure an internship as a college student does not mean that you are destined for failure or that your career development magically comes to a screeching halt.
Before getting into the nitty-gritty of coping with not being able to get a summer internship, it is important that you give yourself a pat on the back. As it is, being a college student is an enormous accomplishment. According to Forbes, 56% of all college students are considered first-generation college students, meaning that their parents do not hold bachelor degrees. If this resonates with you, this is an amazing feat and something to be proud of, regardless of your summer internship status.
If you do not receive a summer internship, there are many pathways you can take to still enhance your career along the way, such as:
Volunteer work
Skill development
Networking events
Research projects
Seek mentorship
Participate in school organizations
If you are seriously struggling, we encourage you to reach out to a career counselor. For additional guidance, you can read our blog “Career Counseling: Can A Therapist Help Me Find The Right Job?”.
As a college student, obtaining a summer internship opportunity may seem like the end-all-be-all but, in reality, it is an honor to attend a prestigious university, like Stevens Institute of Technology, and even consider these professional opportunities. When you are in the midst of the process, it can be hard to see the matter for how it truly is and you may begin to internally spiral with your irrational, intrusive thoughts, blowing the situation way out of proportion. This does not dismiss your concerns but, rather, it should encourage you to put things into perspective.
To change your outlook on the summer internship application process, try to take a mental break from the application process by recalling what you are grateful for. This can help you focus on the positive while you quiet your mind and avoid additional unnecessary stress. If you find yourself not being able to function properly, it is encouraged that you reach out to a professional mental health counselor.
Victoria Scala
is the Social Media Manager and Intake Coordinator at Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. She is a graduate of the Honors College of Rutgers University-Newark. In her roles, Victoria is committed to managing the office’s social media presence and prioritizing clients' needs.
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