The Job Search

Hey everyone--

Here is what I have learned while trying to find an internship:

--Be Patient. I have been shopping for an internship since December 2007 and it took until August 2008 to find one that fits me. I interviewed at a couple of companies during that time and the third company that I interviewed at offered me a position.

--Don't Get Upset. I felt great about how all of my interviews went but I still got denied twice. I was upset but I knew that I had to keep on searching and eventually I would find something. When I interviewed at my current job I knew that I had the position. It's pretty amazing but you will know that you're getting the job after a great interview.

--Never Stop Searching. Even though I was waiting to hear from a company I kept on job searching. It's a good thing that I did because the company that I was waiting to hear from never got back to me (even though they said that they would and after I emailed them) and I ended up getting a job while waiting to hear about a different one.

--Don't Lie. I was brutally honest at a interview and that is the job that I got. Always tell the truth because people take notes during interviews and it's easy to get caught in a lie. At my current employer they wanted five years of technical writing experience. They asked me how much experience I had and I said that other than school projects, I have none.

--Go After Your Dream Job. Internships are a great way to get into a company that you have dreamed about. I emailed a company and asked them if they could take a full-time position and turn it into an internship, and they did. After they created the internship, I got an email from them telling me to apply for the position. This company had never met me but they new that I was interested because I contacted them via email.

--Have A Solid Resume. My current employer complimented me on the document design and the usability of my resume. It was great because it gave me the opportunity to explain how and why I created my resume.

--Have A Paper Portfolio. I printed everything that I have done in school and made a portfolio out of it. I'm glad I did it because none of the companies that I interviewed at would let me turn my laptop on. Many companies are still paper based and you should have a physical paper portfolio for them to look at.

--Research The Company. If you have an interview make sure you research the company (even if you know the company, still read their Web site). I got my job because I researched the company. They asked me questions about themselves and I had all of the answers.

One time, my brother did not research a company and he told me a great story:

"I interviewed for a teaching position at a college once. They asked me what they did. I said that you're a college. They said that the interview was over."

--Accept All Interviews. Even if you don't want to work for a company, interview there if you can. The more you interview the better and more relaxed you will become. At my current job, I was interviewed by a three people at the same time and I did not feel intimidated. I was prepared because I had already interviewed at a couple other companies. After my interview, the president of the company told me that I did an excellent job because I was relaxed, confident and told them everything that they wanted to hear.


This is everything that I found to be important. I hope this helps you and good luck with the job search.

--Nate