I started applying for internships very early in the year because I was determined to secure an internship before winter break. I searched for internships throughout the fall. I asked Hayley about the timeline of when internships would open, and she told me that Amazon usually accepts applications early fall for their internships. Knowing this, I kept an eye out for this application and worked diligently to revise my resume. I tried my best to tailor my resume to fit the description given for the role. I asked Hayley for feedback as well. After submitting the application, it took a few days for me to receive an email notifying me that I passed to get an interview. I prepared using the STAR method for the interviews and used my previous experiences to answer the questions as well.

In managing a job search, staying organized and starting early can be very helpful. It’s easy to lose track of all the previous applications that you’ve submitted over time. The excel sheet that Hayley provided us with from the Internship Preparation class was very helpful. All the information that I needed to know about each internship was all in one spot for me to review and refer to. Starting early in the job search is also helpful as you have more opportunities available to you.

The resources that I used in my job search would include feedback and instruction from Hayley (especially the resume building tips) and google/indeed to search for internships. The tips that Hayley provided on how to tailor the resume for each job based on the job’s description has been life changing for me. I know it seems obvious, but I don’t think I would have thought to use the same verbiage or tasks from the job description in my resume. You can do this for previous jobs that, at first, may not seem relevant to the current job that you’re applying for. When I was tailoring my resume for Amazon, I was going to remove the volunteer experience that I had working in a hospital because I thought it was irrelevant. However, after receiving feedback from Hayley and reviewing the job description, my perception changed. I realized that I could make that experience relevant for the position that I was trying to get. I know that this isn’t always possible, but I’m grateful that I learned this valuable way of creating resumes. This method helps you pass the computer programs that screen applications!

My tip is to start early and to be diligent with your resume, it’ll pay off in the end.