
How about eating a nice piece of pumpkin pie with some Cool Whip while you read Part II of Cara's experience with internship searching... here goes!
Read Part I here
Out of the dozen or so publishing companies I applied to, I at last received a respo

Despite my high hopes, I didn’t end up being selected for the position. At first, I felt defeated. Plain and simple, I’d expected the efforts I had spent researching companies and tweaking my apps to marketable perfection to pay off. Surely employers would slide me toward the yes pile, or at least mollify my anxieties with a promising response. But, while I’ve heard my fair share of success stories, “cold-applying” for internships doesn’t always turn out quite as we’d hope. However stellar our apps might be, the impersonality of the process pits you against countless qualified candidates, all vying for the job in question. For those who’ve met a similar fate, remember that it’s not about our fundamental abilities, or greater capacity to tackle what comes our way. Simply put, standing out from swarms of intelligent, unknown contenders isn’t quite so easy.
When I returned to Donna’s office, she suggested I try reeling in a summer internship with a different strategy: networking, the way by which more than 2/3 of students end up landing internshi

Once discussing the ins and outs of networking strategy, Donna suggested I make a list all the contacts I have, or could potentially acquire, in the field of journalism and publishing. She suggested I send out a slew of sharply worded emails to revitalize existing connections in the field and subtly inquire into any open opportunities. And so I did. Along with writing-savvy professionals I’d previously known, I reached out to some new names in the writing world--recommended to me by friends, neighbors, and my chatty, friend-heavy parents. In the dwindling month that followed, I continuously chatted--both through email and on the phone--with many friendly, well-intentioned professionals, all alert to my interests and eager to lend a helping hand.
At last, a conversation with a networking contact spawned some good news. After a slew of back-and-forths, the marketing head at the Center for Hearing and Communication--a NYC-based nonprofit that caters to children and adults with hearing-loss--informed me that a summer writing intern would be a perfect asset to their organization.

Looking back on my internship experience--and the long-winded but rewarding journey to get there--I’ll conclude with this. Landing an internship in today’s fiercely competitive job market certainly isn’t easy. Between scribbling cover letters and anxiously checking my email on the daily, there were many times I felt like pushing all aside and settling for a summer of late wakeups and marathon TV. But at the end of the day--with the right energy and persistence--fantastic internship opportunities are entirely within our reach. Never hesitate to go outside your comfort zone, whether it means applying for an out-of-character offer or contacting a sleek, professionally esteemed acquaintance. And, most importantly, relax! It’s not as scary as it seems.