Since March I am sending already applications for my internship. I actually planned to start it already in June in order to have the possibility to work in the winter, after finishing my internship. I sent since then over 50 applications to locations all over the world. Vancouver, Honolulu and Cape Town were the highlights.During this process I realized, that it seems to be totally common to just not answer e-mails anymore. I mean for me it would be fine to get a single line telling me that I can't do my internship with the company. However, it seems, that students and potential employees are totally worthless in nowadays business society and that they are not even worth an impolite answer, not to mention a polite answer.
Anyways, I was sending application over application and got maybe a 5%-8% response rate, meaning, I got on more than 50 applications maybe five answers. This is in my opinion very disappointing and embarrassing for an industry (I was sending nearly all my applications to 5***** star hotels), whose core values are respect, valuing the customer and perfect service. Since I am not paying money, but require time and therefore costing money, I reckon these values don't count for me.
All the answers I got were "No's" or "Maybe's". The "Maybe's" generally gave a "Yes, but..."-answer and then didn't answer anymore on my positive responses. Even tho I sent several reminders to the companies I never got anymore answers.
After a while having this trouble with the applications you start doubting yourself. You start thinking, that you are not good enough, that your grades or your application is too bad, or whatever. You come up with a thousand things, what could be the reason for a negative or even no response at all. It's sucking all your energy out and you start feeling bad, when talking or even thinking about internship applications.
Now, lately, I had again a "Maybe" from a company from Stockholm. I even went there without having an appointment to just say "Hi". I was anyways in the city and so it was no big deal. The reaction of the responsible person was actually quite positive and it also sounded promising, that I would get the opportunity to work with this company. However, the responsible person couldn't give me a definite commitment and told me she would contact me as soon as she would know something about the internship.
Then after three weeks - I was maybe too eager, who knows - I just sent as a reminder an e-mail, to ask how the situation would look like. My job was dependent on the performance and position of the company in the particular time. As an answer I got then - maybe as act of defiance - a definite "No". Again a bitter setback.
As in the following days, I did not have the energy to brace up again, sit down and search for new companies to send applications to. Even when talking about it I felt how disgusted I was by the topic "internship". However, I then sent an application to another company in Stockholm and got a response. It was short, it was impolite, but it was a response; better then nothing. After sending my CV again, since the responsible person could not open it, I am now waiting for another - hopefully positive - response.
However, the same day I got another e-mail from a company, which first sent me a "Maybe"-answer and then didn't answer anymore after my positive response. They asked me if I would still be interested in an internship with them. Since I do not have anything yet, I answered positively again and asked for more information. Today, after the weekend, I got more information and now have to consider taking it.
The offer sounds good, the job would be nice. The only problem is, that the job would be in Oslo. Oslo is the most expensive city in Europe and even tho they would pay me quite good I have to consider this factor. Further I would like to stay with A., who has an internship placement in Stockholm. Although Oslo and Stockholm are "just" 550 km away from each other it would be quite hard to see each other on a regular basis.
It is a difficult decision, especially since I have such a disgust towards this topic lately and dont want to think too much about it. I know that I am still young and always say that you should go wherever life takes you, but this is a really tough decision.
I will have some days to think about it now, since we are going out with the boat for three days. I hope the sea will calm me down a bit and I will have enough time to think about my next step.
~M~
Anyways, I was sending application over application and got maybe a 5%-8% response rate, meaning, I got on more than 50 applications maybe five answers. This is in my opinion very disappointing and embarrassing for an industry (I was sending nearly all my applications to 5***** star hotels), whose core values are respect, valuing the customer and perfect service. Since I am not paying money, but require time and therefore costing money, I reckon these values don't count for me.
All the answers I got were "No's" or "Maybe's". The "Maybe's" generally gave a "Yes, but..."-answer and then didn't answer anymore on my positive responses. Even tho I sent several reminders to the companies I never got anymore answers.After a while having this trouble with the applications you start doubting yourself. You start thinking, that you are not good enough, that your grades or your application is too bad, or whatever. You come up with a thousand things, what could be the reason for a negative or even no response at all. It's sucking all your energy out and you start feeling bad, when talking or even thinking about internship applications.
Now, lately, I had again a "Maybe" from a company from Stockholm. I even went there without having an appointment to just say "Hi". I was anyways in the city and so it was no big deal. The reaction of the responsible person was actually quite positive and it also sounded promising, that I would get the opportunity to work with this company. However, the responsible person couldn't give me a definite commitment and told me she would contact me as soon as she would know something about the internship.Then after three weeks - I was maybe too eager, who knows - I just sent as a reminder an e-mail, to ask how the situation would look like. My job was dependent on the performance and position of the company in the particular time. As an answer I got then - maybe as act of defiance - a definite "No". Again a bitter setback.
As in the following days, I did not have the energy to brace up again, sit down and search for new companies to send applications to. Even when talking about it I felt how disgusted I was by the topic "internship". However, I then sent an application to another company in Stockholm and got a response. It was short, it was impolite, but it was a response; better then nothing. After sending my CV again, since the responsible person could not open it, I am now waiting for another - hopefully positive - response.
However, the same day I got another e-mail from a company, which first sent me a "Maybe"-answer and then didn't answer anymore after my positive response. They asked me if I would still be interested in an internship with them. Since I do not have anything yet, I answered positively again and asked for more information. Today, after the weekend, I got more information and now have to consider taking it.
The offer sounds good, the job would be nice. The only problem is, that the job would be in Oslo. Oslo is the most expensive city in Europe and even tho they would pay me quite good I have to consider this factor. Further I would like to stay with A., who has an internship placement in Stockholm. Although Oslo and Stockholm are "just" 550 km away from each other it would be quite hard to see each other on a regular basis.It is a difficult decision, especially since I have such a disgust towards this topic lately and dont want to think too much about it. I know that I am still young and always say that you should go wherever life takes you, but this is a really tough decision.
I will have some days to think about it now, since we are going out with the boat for three days. I hope the sea will calm me down a bit and I will have enough time to think about my next step.
~M~
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