We’ve all had to take that first step into the real world. It can be intimidating and sometimes too scary to take. I remember being there. I was registering for my senior year, excited as ever because I was getting closer to graduation. I called my brother to share my excitement and his response was the complete opposite. He reminded me that I needed to have experience on my resume if I wanted to find a job after graduation. I told him I had applied but no one had gotten back to me. “Well… keep applying” was his response.
And I did. 10 applications a day to be exact. No, I’m not exaggerating. I had a daily reminder to apply to ten internships a day. Because that’s how bad I wanted it. Ten applications a day came with many, many rejection emails but also interviews and eventually, an offer. It was that one offer that started my career.
Here are 7 tips for landing your first job in industry. These tips helped me land my first internship with no experience.
1. Persistence
As some of you know, my second internship was at Disney. I applied a total of 8 times for that position. The first time I applied was my junior year of college. I applied again a few months after I was rejected and I continued applying until my senior year. I did not get a response from them until my second to last semester of college, on my 8th application.
I would’ve never had that opportunity if I gave up after the 6th rejection. My resume also changed over the years and I became a slightly stronger candidate but I didn’t stop applying until they noticed me. I knew what I wanted and I wasn’t going to stop until I got it. When people ask me how I landed my engineering internship at Disney, my immediate response is persistence.
Don’t settle with the excuse that no one is getting back to you, like I initially did. If the companies you already applied to aren’t getting back to you, then apply to others. There’s no limit here. Be persistent until it happens for you and it will happen for you.
2. Demonstrate Your Willingness To Learn
Although I didn’t have an professional experience on my resume, I had some activities that demonstrated my willingness to learn. In order to add something to my resume, I applied to a position with the computer science tech team at my university. After I was rejected, I stopped by to see the supervisor and asked her if I could volunteer to learn from them.
I volunteered with the tech team for a semester, where I learned new technologies and met graduate students that invited me to participate in their side projects. Adding all of this to my resume helped me demonstrate strong qualities that recruiters look for in entry-level positions.
3. No Comparing, Only Admiring
Yes, it was difficult to watch my classmates get internships before me. I was a rising senior and wasn’t getting any responses. But, I stayed focused on my own goals. I began looking at others’ achievements as motivation instead of intimidation. I would ask for advice from those who had already landed their first internship and focused on growth.
We all grow at different rates which is never a bad thing because if someone is ahead of you, that only means they figured it out before you which is a shortcut for you to learn from them.
4. Resume & LinkedIn
Your resume matters – it is your first impression to a recruiter. Recruiters look at a resume for about 2-3 seconds before deciding if they’ll consider you for a position. I’ve had about 20+ versions of my resume over the years 🙂 Take advantage of every resume workshop, ask for feedback from anyone you can and continue improving it as you go.
Also, here are 4 free online resume scanners that will show you what companies see when you apply for a job:
After receiving feedback from the scanner, you can revise your resume accordingly and make yourself stand out among hundreds of applicants.
Lastly, create a LinkedIn if you don’t have one yet! When I was preparing for my interview at Facebook, my recruiter and I stayed in contact through LinkedIn. It is important for applying to jobs, being noticed and most importantly, making connections.
5. Improve Your Interview Skills
When I was applying for internships, I interviewed so much to the point that I enjoyed interviewing because interviews didn’t intimidate me anymore. Interviewing is a skill that can only be mastered by repetition. Take advantage of every interview you get, even if you’re not interested anymore or have already found a job. Use it as practice and feel free to ask for feedback after.
If your university is offering mock interviews, always do them. You will learn something new every time.
6. Be Resilient
Rejections are part of the journey. You will not get 100% of the things you positions for, that’s a fact, whether it’s for your first internship, a promotion, a new job, etc. That’s why it’s important to learn early on to be resilient. Remember that everyone (mentors, executives, managers, engineers, etc) started in your shoes. They kept going, so should you.
7. Set a Daily Goal
Setting goals and checking in with yourself is the best way to hold yourself accountable. We tend to get side tracked by homework, work, chores and we set aside the important things that shape our future… like applying to internships before graduation. Before you know it, you’re registering for your senior year and have nothing on your resume (this was me).
I recommend setting a daily goal that you know you can meet and set a reminder for it. Like I said, I had a daily goal of 10 applications a day until I landed my first offer.
Keep your odds high!
Good luck ♡
XOXO,
Pao
Jenny
Wow!