So it’s that time of the year when friends and peers are accepting offers for summer and full-time positions. If you’re one of those people, heartiest congratulations!
If you’re not, do not fret just yet. There is still hope and you could still land interviews and offers. This is true for both domestic and international students. True, the plum positions may have already been filled, but no, just because it is late in the process does not mean that you are left with the not-so-great offers. At this point, you really do not have a choice to be really picky. Be pragmatic about matching your skills with a particular position, but don’t lose hope that you may not land your dream job. The point being, you will always learn something, irrespective of which organization you work at or how green your bank account is.
You may also want to think about it from this perspective. While it may be the time that students are accepting offers, it is also the time when students are rejecting offers. This means that there will be positions that open up, and some may be just what you were looking for. Talk to people, they’re more willing to help than you may realize. In case of a referral, this translates into monetary benefits for the person who referred you, so it is a positive sum scenario.
It is okay to have come this far and not received what you wanted. Negative outcomes cannot always be attributed to external circumstances. True, you may just have had a bad day on your last interview, but if it happens multiple times, take a minute, look back and figure out where you need to improve. Source the CMC’s help. Rework your cover letter and resume. Be consistent. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.
In the worst case that it does not happen, create other contingency plans. Complete a few credits this summer, work with a professor, take an unpaid internship or just take a break. Freelance for a project, become a finance whiz, spend time with loved ones. But be sure to make your Plan Cs and Plan Ds now proactively, instead of later.
And do not forget to complete your summer registration! Cheers!