Rejections, stress and competition: Taylorians discuss the process of securing an internship

Mas Izzati Hanis editing her resume

As we approach the middle of April, preparations for internships have been occurring all around the campus.

Final year students are struggling to strike a balance between their internship pursuits and studies amid one of the most arduous times of their academic lives.

Mas Izzati Hanis, a final-year student, applied for numerous internship positions but was either rejected or ignored by the majority of recruiters, and even when she does receive a response or is invited for an interview, the job specification frequently conflicts with her field of study.

“I feel lost or not on the right track when finding internships sometimes,” said Mas.

Mas has also been offered a number of internship opportunities by various recruiters.

Despite this apparent success, she remains discontented with the internship positions she was offered, in contrast to her peers who secured internships at prominent organisations.

"There is definitely an underachiever complex, as it is extremely difficult to avoid comparisons with my fellow classmates during this highly competitive phase of my life," said Mas, before adding,

“I want to work for a reputable organisation to enhance my résumé and hopefully be hired there on a permanent basis, which is why I'm still on the lookout for that opportunity.”

Although students are drawn to the prestige of working for large corporations, Hong Poh Yia, a final-year Mass Communication student, feels that the company with which we intern does not matter.

“I think it's important to choose a company that allows us to gain experience of what it is like to work in the industry because that will help us learn more about our future careers,” Hong said.

“The company itself doesn't have to be super famous because it's the knowledge and experience that matters, not the company.”

Hong also stated that she is having difficulty finding an internship while balancing her studies.

Searching for Jobs on LinkedIn

“Updating my LinkedIn profile and visiting plenty of job-hunting websites has become a daily routine for me, and because of that, I'm not as focused on my assignments and studies as I should be,” she said.

"It is very challenging to do my final year project while juggling this internship hunting charade, and due to that, I hardly have any downtime."

Hong also voiced concerns about gaining hands-on experience as an intern, given that the majority of employment is either virtual or hybrid at the moment due to the pandemic.

Rubiah Ibrahim, a career advisor from Taylor's Career Services, assured students that they don’t have to be concerned about the present job climate.

"Most companies are allowing their employees to work in person now that the pandemic is winding down, so students don’t have to worry about not getting hands-on experience," Rubiah claimed.

Rubiah further reminded students that they are not alone in this endeavour, stating that career advisors such as herself are there to assist students throughout this process.

"We will send students internship opportunities that are relevant to their area of study and will assist them in gaining skills such as résumé writing and interviewing," Rubiah noted.

"Students could also schedule private consultations with us if they have issues with their career choices, internship placements, or anything else relevant to their careers," she added.

Taylor’s career services hosted its mandatory inaugural workshop for final year students on 20 April. The workshop emphasised on résumé writing, interview skills, and professional grooming.

Rubiah revealed that more professional workshops are being planned to boost students' chances of securing internships.

Rubiah also took the time to address some students' concerns about the recruitment process and offered guidance.

“Many big companies take a very long time to respond, so it doesn’t mean they ignored you. It just means that they are processing your application,” Rubiah claimed.

“I understand that this can be super overwhelming for students, especially during their final year, but if they start their internship process early and follow up consistently, they will be just fine.”