Let’s face it — one of the biggest stressors first-year students face is the pressure of landing the so-called “perfect” internship for the summer. Gone are the days of frantically cramming for finals, but in comes a replacement that some consider even more ferocious — the job search. As the summer season creeps ever closer, I’ve decided to interview three outstanding AEO candidates, Sophie Pinfold, Braeden Donnelly & Nick Zhang to see their plans for the summer months. Both Pinfold and Donnelly are in BMOS, while Zhang is in Engineering and intends to pursue the HBA dual degree.
First of all, what are your plans for the summer?
Pinfold: I’ll be an overnight camp counsellor for girls aged 13-16, with a host of duties. These include leading all activities throughout a tightly scheduled day, supervising campers, and mentoring the girls who end up in my cabin.
Donnelly: Last year I worked at a golf course as a waiter, which I’ll be continuing for the upcoming summer season. Occasionally, I’ll bartend on weekends and will sometimes be sent to work at the halfway house, selling snacks and beverages for golfers.
Zhang: I’ve been lucky enough to land a position as a Digital Marketing Manager at an IT Recruitment firm called ISGSearch. This is a paid internship where I’ll be managing their social and helping to grow their online presence.
How did you land your position?
Pinfold: I’ve attended this camp since I was seven, and I always imagined myself as a counsellor one day. Last year, I partook in a camp leadership program to become a counsellor, and this only strengthened my resolve to assume the mantle.
Donnelly: I applied through the Clublink portal, and from there, I was granted a phone call interview. Management wanted to assess how quickly I could learn the necessary skills for the job and if I had the sought-out characteristics to fit into a customer service role.
Zhang: As a first-year, cold-applying for positions is quite challenging. I sent out emails to a number of potential firms and saw a lucky break when ISGSearch replied, mentioning that they were just starting to look for someone to take on a marketing role. From there, an interview was set up, where I was able to showcase my soft and hard skills, which resulted in my success in landing this role.
What are the most important experiences/skills you possess that will prepare you for this position?
Pinfold: When dealing with kids, flexibility and adaptability are of the utmost importance, as they can be quite unpredictable. Problem-solving is also a skill I’ll have to deploy, as many situations arise where you’ll have to think of solutions on the fly when handling emotional circumstances.
Donnelly: Being organized is paramount to excelling in a serving position, as maneuvering around tables and responding to various requests requires you to stay on top of every order. Learning to deal with upset customers aids in regulating emotions and teaches you how to diffuse tense situations.
Zhang: My experiences will equip me the most for this position, particularly my familiarity with a digital environment and video editing expertise. Along with these hard skills I’ve developed, soft skills like interpersonal communication will be integral to succeeding in my role as I need to be able to work well with everyone at the firm.
What drew you to the role? What values were most important to you when deciding to pursue jobs?
Pinfold: For this summer specifically, I prioritized finding a job that I knew I would genuinely enjoy. The summers where I can be a camp counsellor are quickly coming to an end, so I wanted at least one last summer working outside, making life-long memories with friends while I still can.
Donnelly: To be quite honest, waiting tables at a golf course is a great way to make a lot of money in a short amount of time, and as mentioned by Sophie, the summer after your first year is one of the last times when you can have a “fun” job.
Zhang: I wanted to gain experience in a sector I knew I was interested in. Internships are essentially a four-month trial period to pilot-test a career, and out of all the different business fields, marketing has always piqued my curiosity the most. ISGSearch will allow me to decide more definitively if marketing is a route I’d like to explore further.
Did you feel pressure to land an internship for the summer?
Pinfold: Initially, I didn’t give it too much thought, but once some peers started to stress out about their applications, it made me question whether or not I was making the right choice by choosing not to pursue an internship for the summer. It’s quite easy to compare yourself to others, and the recurring thought of “Am I behind?” kept cropping up.
Donnelly: I have felt a bit of pressure with the AEO culture lending itself to this stress — it seems as if everyone wants to build their corporate skills early on. But in my opinion, service jobs can be just as, if not more valuable, than an internship, so I’ve been able to combat the stress successfully.
Zhang: Yes, I definitely felt a lot of pressure. I am fairly competitive, so when I heard my friends discussing positions they had landed, it made me work hard to secure something I could be proud of. While supportive, the AEO community does foster competitiveness, which inspires me to reach higher than I usually would.
Finally, are you happy with your choice? Are you excited about the summer ahead?
Pinfold: I could not be happier with my choice. Being a camp counsellor means I can disconnect from my phone for months, which I believe is exceedingly beneficial to your health. Building connections with campers and furthering connections with friends is what I look forward to the most.
Donnelly: Yes, I am quite happy with my choice. I love talking to all different kinds of people, and being a server means I’ll be able to exercise this passion of mine. Working outside during the summer is also a luxury, which makes me even more excited for the season.
Zhang: Working at ISGSearch will challenge me to think critically and gives me the flexibility to experiment with my ideas, which is one of the key factors in accepting my offer. Since ISGSearch is a smaller firm, I have more room to learn, grow, and make mistakes, which would be more limiting if I was working for an established company.
Thanks to Pinfold, Donnelly and Zhang, the illusion of the “must-have” internship has been shattered. When seeking out job prospects, the number one thing to keep in mind is what suits YOU best. Whether that’s working as a counsellor, a waiter, or landing that internship, build your summer around what’s important to you. These next handful of summers are fleeting — make them worthwhile.