I mentioned my disappointing summer of nothingness that was preceded by years of preparation and expectation-building. I searched, I applied, I floundered.
It took me most of the summer to realize that I had applied for only paid internships, none of which involved topics I was passionate about. My class lexicon and club interests did not show the people who interviewed me that I was their best applicant. I wasn't a failure, I was a settler.
Lifeguarding at a new workplace that I really loved taught me what a difference attitude makes because I was surrounded by great personalities that summer. No Negative Nancys or Debbie Downers in the bunch. This was refreshing and I learned that I would not settle for anything less than this appreciation of any workplace.
I geared up for senior year, having attended a life-enhancing student seminar and having read and written my brains out, I prepared a list of To Dos.
1) Club joining. A senior who finally realized the value of being around like-interested peers, way to catch on.
2) English department internship. Unpaid, but I'd have the chance to work on something in a capacity that I already know I love. Plus, I'd be close enough to a professor to have the grounds to ask for a reference.
3) Job fairs and taking advantage of JMU's career center. Corny as corn puffs (see what I did there? snort snort) now, but this step was very true.
Check, check, check. The first two helped me with the third.
One company interested me in the Fall Internship Fair line up out of the very long list. Keep the math away from me. I like words. My Internship Fair story will play out in my next post. Maybe consider the first two steps in these fresh weeks of the semester.
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