For the last two Wednesdays, we’ve been featuring some advice from our very own students on their experiences with both finding, surviving, and thriving in their internships.  A marketing major at Columbia, Jessica Kantak has these words to offer:

“Internships can seem very ominous.  If you have yet to have one, you may know what I’m talking about.  There’s a certain standard we set for ourselves in thinking we need the absolute biggest and best one right off the bat.  For some, that may happen, but for many of us it won’t—and that’s okay!  Despite all of the planning you may do, things will never turn out exactly as you thought they would, but it’s often for the better.

I know I couldn’t have planned for all of the opportunities I have had.  Believe me, your own opportunities are going to pop up spontaneously and unexpectedly, and my greatest hope for you is that you have the bravery to embrace them.  Work hard, be proud of the work you do, and always give it 100 percent. ”

Thanks Jessica!  We appreciate your words of wisdom!  If you missed our other posts, you can read them here.