By: Emilie Schwarz
Having an internship is one of the most beneficial things you can do as a college student. Gaining hands-on, professional experience can provide so much insight on what your career will look like after graduating. It’s also an amazing opportunity to create professional connections or integrate yourself into a company. While the accumulation of everything you learn in college will prepare you for your future, internships are your best shot at having real-world practice before you graduate.
Included as a requirement for the UC Davis Professional Writing minor is an internship in writing. This allows students the opportunity to gain real-world work experience in an internship setting before they graduate. For students who are looking to enhance their writing skills in a variety of professional contexts, this minor will develop your skills and facilitate an opportunity to work in an internship.
It’s no doubt that internships will revolutionize your skill set for your academic and career journey, but sometimes they can feel impossible to obtain. Applying to internships is oftentimes a process of trial and error, and being rejected can significantly slow your roll. Granted that these experiences are important to learn from, it can still be very challenging to actually secure an internship.
I remember feeling completely lost when I was learning about internships. When I transferred to UC Davis in my third year of college, I was a wide-eyed and anxious Communications major student, who was just trying to get accustomed to being away from home. As a transfer student, there’s not a lot of time to settle in and grab your bearings. Rather, you feel an inclination to do as much as you can during your two years at university.
Approaching Davis with the idea of cramming in as many college experiences as I can stemmed from my fear of falling behind. This fear was extremely common during my college experience, and it began when I decided not to go to a university and attend community college instead. I spent my first two years completing my general education requirements and figuring out what I wanted to pursue. I felt stagnant by staying behind as I watched my friends from home move away.
When I finally started my first year at UC Davis, I came to the realization that my community college did a great job of preparing me to transfer, but it gave me no information on what to expect when I arrived at my university. I was caught up on my Communications major prerequisites, but that was it. As soon as my first fall quarter started, I discovered the pressures of being in my third year of college. On top of jumping right into upper division courses, I was under the impression that there was an expectation for third-year students to have an internship—which immediately brought me back to feeling behind.
At this point, I hardly knew about the importance of internships, and had no clue how to get one. So, I did what any rational person would do—panic! I jumped on my computer, made half-baked profiles for Linkedin and Handshake, and kicked off my search for a paid internship. I wrote a mediocre resume and cover letter and submitted about a dozen applications to big-name companies within the span of a few weeks. Once my application spree was over, I was finally satisfied with myself and crossed my fingers for a response.
To my surprise, I never got a single response back. I remember feeling absolutely rejected day after day when I would scrounge through my emails for a response and never saw one. It was hard to stay hopeful, and I felt unworthy as an applicant.
When I look back on how I first navigated gaining an internship, I realize my most fatal flaw in my approach was that I did it all by myself. I didn’t utilize any on-campus resources, I never spoke to a professor or an advisor, and I even had a hard time talking with my peers about internships. I got so far into my head that I didn’t acknowledge that I had everything I needed to help me succeed right at my fingertips.
The moment I began seeking help in this process was in my UWP 104A Business Writing course. I learned how to properly craft a resume and cover letter, and I upgraded mine to a whole new level. I also started branching out to other classmates to ask how they got their internships. Once I was comfortable with asking others for help and guidance, I regained my confidence and felt prepared to apply for internships again.
Taking the business writing course not only helped me feel more confident with my application materials, but it also helped me discover my passion for writing. I took advantage of this newfound interest and knew that I wanted to take more courses to expand my writing skills. This was the moment when I stumbled upon the Professional Writing minor. It did not take much to convince me to choose this minor, since the description sounded like the perfect choice for me. I had no idea at the time that the decision I made would change my academic world for the better.
When I started my senior year, I set a goal for myself to embrace every opportunity that comes my way. As it’s my last year of college, I knew I wanted to spend my time being as involved as possible. With my goal in mind, I had a better mindset towards internships.
The day I discovered my current internship was through an email sent from the Professional Writing minor mailing list. A position as the communications specialist had just been posted, and it sounded like an amazing role for me. To stay true to my goal, I took a chance and prepared an application. My former doubts and insecurities started to swarm my brain, but I chose to trust myself and go for it.
This quarter will be my third quarter as the communications specialist for the Professional Writing program. Looking back at the progress I’ve made from one year ago will never fail to amaze me. I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity in my internship, and I’ve grown so much as a professional. The path to achieving my goal was not linear, and at points it seemed unreachable. Once I figured I was not alone in this process, I used the guidance I received from others to catapult my success upwards.
It’s safe to say that I am not the only Professional Writing minor student with a story like this. Fourth-year student Omar Sanchez, a Sociology in Law major and Political Science and Professional Writing minor, reflected on how persistence is key when applying to internships.
“I sent out over 50 applications but only got 10 responses. It was tough to stay motivated after so many rejections, but I kept going,” Sanchez said. “My advice is to keep trying and not give up. It’s a numbers game, so don’t be discouraged by rejections.”
Sanchez is now an intern with TurnUp Activism, a non-profit organization that is focused on increasing registration and voter turnout amongst young voters.
For Ava Wong, a senior majoring in English and minoring in Accounting and Professional Writing, timing was never in her favor when she was applying. Keeping up with classes, clubs, and life made it seem like there was never enough time to apply.
“Not only was I scrambling to apply, ASAP, I was also writing papers, studying for an exam, and trying to pack up my apartment [to move out] at the same time,” Wong said. “But I prioritized applying, since I knew in the long run, the experience I’d get through an internship was a lot more important…”
Wong got an internship with the UC Davis College of Letters and Sciences marketing team by keeping in touch with her professors and the Internship Coordinator, Rebekka Andersen. “Reach out to your professors!” Wong said. “The only way you’ll learn about [internship opportunities] is if you ask. I know a lot of the time it can feel intimidating, or that you’re bothering them with something, but that’s just in your head.”
It’s easy to feel stressed and intimidated on such a large campus. But instead of shying away, indulge in the resources that are available for you. Lean on your peers for support, and you may learn a thing or two from them. Ask your professors questions even though it seems scary! Ultimately, you are not alone in this struggle to find a job or an internship. There will always be someone who will lend a hand.
Below, I have curated a list of resources for you to learn more about the Professional Writing minor:
Our Linktree will instantly direct you to Professional Writing minor resources such as our website, Instagram, Discord, and more.
Stay up to date with internship opportunities, events, and general information by joining our mailing list.
For specific inquiries, contact our wonderful Faculty Advisor and Internship Coordinator, Rebekka Andersen at randersen@ucdavis.edu.
Contact the Voorhies Advising Team, our team of undergraduate student advisors, for general information about the minor.
Feel free to contact me at enschwarz@ucdavis.edu for any questions or if you want to chat about internship experiences!
My most recent Internship Guide will be especially helpful for those beginning their UWP 192 process.
Utilize these on-campus resources while you have the opportunity to!