5 tips for dejected students rejected from internships

College students are in the midst of summer plans season. For some, this time of year involves preparing for months of personal and professional growth, perhaps even compiling a list of various places to visit if the job is in another city. However, applying for opportunities inevitably involves being rejected from a few.

Even if you’re a resilient person who is able to overcome obstacles, rejection can still cause one’s self-esteem and sense of self-worth to plummet. Here’s a few tips to try out if you catch yourself feeling down about not getting that job you had already spent hours daydreaming about.

  1. Wallow in your sadness. It never feels good to receive an email that starts, “thank you for applying to this magnificent place you idolize with all your heart and soul, but…” In my case, I didn’t get an email to provide closure, but rather, found a tweet on the NPR Interns account that stated if I hadn’t been contacted for an interview at this point, I should feel free to apply for the Fall semester. Que the existential crisis. After that, buy yourself a fattening butter croissant from Jo’s, sit in the massage chair from student life, and allow yourself to make a pouty face while you snack on it, because you my friend, have been rejected.

  2. Reflect on your accomplishments. By now, you’ve reached the point where attending St. Edward’s has become normal, everyday life. However, not too long ago, you sent your transcript, SAT scores and essays and hoped this institution would accept you. Then, admissions reviewed these documents and decided they really wanted you here. For many students at this university, they wanted you so much that they offered you thousands of dollars every year to ensure they could beat out the other offers you were likely receiving aside from theirs.

  3. Don’t just watch Netflix, but take a moment to think about a character you dislike or take pity on. In another universe, I could be Piper Chapman from “Orange is the New Black,” basking in my white privilege and self-absorption. But I’m not, thankfully. Essentially, your situation could be worse.

  4. Show appreciation to your professors and other people you have developed a good rapport with. Oftentimes, people get hired based on recommendations. Someone else noticed your work-ethic and potential and thought you’d be a good fit for an internship their friend is scouting for. You have to keep in touch with your mentors in order for you to come to their mind, though. So catch up with them by dropping by their office hours or buying them coffee. Maybe one of these days, they’ll have a recommendation up their sleeve.

  5. Take comfort in the uncertainty. It’s somewhat exciting to not know what you’ll be doing with the next few months of your life. The possibilities are wide open, and you have the option of getting hired anywhere, minus this one, two or maybe even multiple workplaces. The job might not have been the right fit for you anyways, or perhaps it was, and they mistakenly hired someone incompetent and lazy. They should have noticed you as the bright individual they had the opportunity to work with, but missed out on. Their loss. You’ll achieve greatness without them.