Written by Graduate Intern Kayla Carrillo
Kayla presenting at a career workshop.
As a first-generation graduate student pursuing a career in student affairs, I was never one to take advantage of the resources my undergraduate institution offered; I never visited the Career Center, attended social events, or made a conscious effort to get involved within the school community. My institution was primarily a commuter campus, and I worked part-time in retail throughout my academic years. I neglected the importance of gaining professional experience through internships or workshops. Something I reflect on after being in my graduate program at USC is the importance of taking advantage of the resources your institution offers because they are meant to be there to support, validate, and ultimately, help you to be as successful as possible.
Here are five takeaways from my time as a graduate intern at the USC Career Center:
- Applying for jobs is a job in itself. Never use the tactic of mass applying to opportunities with the same application materials each time. You need to tailor your resume and cover letter to each role, and yes, you should always submit a cover letter. Ensure that you are being detail-oriented in your applications and filling out the form as thoroughly as possible.
- Persistence is key. Don’t give up in the face of the impossible feeling that you won’t get an internship or a job. There are times when you feel like giving up, but rely on your school community to support you, which includes your peers, professors, and, notably, your school’s Career Center. Visiting your Career Center is important—do not be the person who graduates without having received professional advice on career pathways.
- In an internship or a job opportunity, do not be afraid to ask for clarification on projects; your supervisor should not expect you to know everything. Ask for more responsibilities, diversifying your experience and familiarity with different areas of a department is a great learning opportunity. You don’t get what you do not have the courage to vocalize. It’s okay to say you don’t know something, that you are not familiar with a program, software, or any type of task. Before I started this internship, I had no experience with student advising. Now, I have worked with over 250 students on various career-related aspects.
- Networking is important! When people say the Trojan Network and Alumni family is strong, it’s true. Leaning on your networks and building connections with alumni, professors, and current students can have a profound impact on your career. As someone who is introverted and gets anxious talking to new people, I encourage you to move past the fear of not knowing what to say or feeling intimidated. Part of the reason you attended USC is for the network, so don’t forget that piece as part of the career plan. Alumni and professors want to talk to current students; they were once in your shoes.
- Build Community! Community can be misconstrued as a network; however, from a more generalized perspective, community refers to those who are your peers, student organizations, Greek life, or whoever you are most comfortable interacting with in and out of the classroom. Remember that supporting one another through the process can make the job search less stressful. Lean on each other for sending each other different job or internship postings. Leverage your peers as valuable networking resources—they may have insights into organizations or internships they’ve experienced, or even know someone currently working or hiring there. As someone in the job search process, it has been a comfort to know that many of my fellow graduate interns are in the same boat as I am. We lean on each other to discuss different roles and share insights on how to be a competitive candidate.
Sure, everything I mentioned is easier said than done. Remember that USC wants to see its students succeed and be content in their career journey. Don’t discredit yourself if your journey looks different from your peers. You bring unique perspectives and qualities that any organization or industry would be lucky to have.
